Sierra Echo
by Rattler20200
Summary: A mission to Tokyo throws SG-1 into the middle of a 10,000 year old conflict, and into contact with a unique group of women with elemental powers. Will these Sailor Scouts trust SG-1 enough to work together with the fate of the Earth at stake? And what is their connection to the team's rookie?
1. Rookie

Author's Note: Wow... been a while since I last uploaded something. They changed things on me!Anyways... here we are with a new story. Forgive me if any of the characters seem OoC, as this was my first foray into both Stargate and Sailor Moon. The Sailor Moon timeline has been shifted forward to accommodate the SG-1 timeline, which was the easy part. Anyways... as always any advice for future projects is more than welcome, and flames will be given to Mars for fire reading. Or... making S'mores...

And now... ALEX! DISCLAIMER!

Alex: Dang it... and I was enjoying the vacation. Rattler20200 owns nothing except for the plot of this story and OCs.

Thank you Alex. And now...

CUE STARGATE OVERTURE! Or SG-1 theme. Your choice! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1

Rookie

She ran. Even though she knew it was only a matter of time, she ran. Her plan was reckless, but she hoped it would buy time for the Kingdom's defenses to prepare for the coming onslaught. Ducking around a corner, she evaded another patrol. She had already managed to board and destroy four enemy warships. Now she was on the enemy flagship, and they were closing the noose. Gritting her teeth, she barreled into a group of demons, bowling them over. Before they could react, the young woman destroyed them. A blast of dark energy slammed into the bulkhead, causing her to take cover. It was the evil Queen herself, and she looked pissed.

"You must be a suicidal Scout to think you can challenge me alone," the Queen taunted.

"Yea… well… I seem to be causing a lot of damage on the way," she shot back.

The Queen launched another attack, and she retaliated with an energy blast. Suddenly… she felt a sharp pain in her back…

Lt. Krystal Jade woke up, gasping for breath.

* * *

"This will be a standard recon," General Landry said, addressing those assembled in the Conference Room. SG-3 was to check out a planet designated P2C-223. But why the members of SG-1 were present barely registered with the young lieutenant. Col. Reynolds nodded as the briefing came to a close, but hesitated when they weren't dismissed to prepare for the upcoming mission.

"There is one more matter to discuss," Landry said with a smile. He turned his attention to the youngest member of SG-3, who was currently spacing out. She was thinking about the strange dream she had. Ever since coming back from P7V-426, she'd been having dreams like that one. It made no sense to her at all. It took her a minute to realize someone was trying to get her attention. The young red head blinked, and looked around. Her gaze finally settled on her CO.

"Nice of you to come back down to Earth Jade," Reynolds said with a lopsided grin.

"Sorry sir," she replied, shrinking down into her seat.

"As I was saying, Lt. Jade, you will not be joining SG-3 on this one," the General said. Krystal cringed, having a feeling she did something wrong and was pretty much grounded. What came next caused her to do a double take.

"Wait… what?"

"You've been reassigned lieutenant," General Landry said. "You will be joining SG-1 on their mission to P9F-141."

Krystal couldn't believe it. She was just getting settled in with SG-3, and now she's been assigned to the flagship team of the SGC. Across from her, Colonel Cameron Mitchell had a knowing grin on his face. Dr. Daniel Jackson was busy looking over some papers, most likely involving whatever the MALP found on 141. Teal'c, the resident Jaffa of SG-1, had an unreadable expression on his face. Vala Mal Doran was absent from the briefing. Krystal remembered that Vala was off world, apparently visiting relatives for a while. At least… that's what Vala said. Most likely, she was trying to scam someone out of something valuable without the SGC looking over her shoulder. General Landry said that SG-1 wouldn't be leaving for a couple days to give her time to get to know her new team. It wasn't long before they were dismissed. Looking at her watch, Krystal decided to head down to the mess hall for some lunch.

Today's lunch special was one of Krystal's favorites, nachos. But instead of just tearing into her food, Krystal just stared off into space, occasionally putting some food into her mouth. She was again thinking about the strange dreams. One in particular involving a girl about her age with short blue hair. She could still remember what happened in that one, trying to convince the blunette to take a break from whatever project she was working on. Whoever the woman was, Krystal felt like she was a friend. But she just didn't know who she was.

"This seat taken?"

Krystal blinked. There, standing at her table with a tray, was Dr. Jackson.

"No," she replied. "Pull up a chair."

"I bet you're surprised to be with SG-1 now," the archeologist said, taking a seat. He had a sandwich and a bottle of water on his tray. Krystal shrugged. She actually was surprised. Daniel explained that it was actually Col. Reynolds who recommended her for a position with SG-1. Apparently, during her short time with the team, she impressed everyone. Speaking of everyone… Col. Mitchell and Teal'c walked up with trays. Before either of them could ask, Krystal motioned for them to sit down. Mitchell noticed that the young woman seemed distracted by something.

"Something on your mind lieutenant?" he asked.

"Its nothing," Krystal insisted, taking a bite of her nachos. Mitchell and Teal'c seemed unconvinced, but didn't push her.

* * *

She looked over the unconscious forms of her captives. Seven of the vaunted Sailor Scouts were now her prisoners, including their leader. But the fact that two of them managed to escape grated on her. Unlike her predecessor, Alti was far more patient. Instead of sending forces to Earth to attack the planet, she gathered intelligence and plotted. Just like in a game of Chess, she maneuvered until she was in a position to strike. Trying to overpower the Scouts on their home turf was a recipe for disaster. Beryl proved that. Instead, Alti set a trap for the defenders of Earth. But still… there were two that managed to escape her grasp: the ones called Mercury and Pluto. Alti looked down at the sleeping form of the Moon Princess, and gave an evil smile. She'd bide her time.

* * *

The next couple days flew by pretty fast. Again, Krystal's dreams seemed to center around people and places that somehow felt familiar.

Rushing through the corridors of the SGC, the young lieutenant made her way to the Gate Room. She was running late for her first mission with SG-1. Decked out in standard issue SG gear and carrying her usual M-4 rifle, Krystal brushed passed an Airman, and into the large chamber that housed the most important object on Earth, the Stargate. The rest of SG-1 was already assembled. Col. Mitchell looked over at her and smiled.

"Took the scenic route lieutenant?"

"Won't happen again sir," Krystal replied, taking a position next to Dr. Jackson. Mitchell just shrugged as he adjusted his grip on his P-90. The inner ring on the gate started spinning. The dialing sequence had begun. Just like with all the other missions she took part in, Krystal couldn't help but feel excited. There was always something new to see on the other side of the Gate. Five chevrons had been activated when Mitchell held out something to her. Krystal took the object, and found that it was an SG-1 patch. Looking at her shoulder, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. An SG-3 patch was still on her jacket.

"Don't worry about it right now lieutenant," Mitchell said as the sixth chevron lit up. "You can swap out patches when we get back."

The Stargate continued to spin until the distinctive symbol of a pyramid with a circle representing a sun above it settled into place at the top of the ring, and the seventh chevron locked into place. A rush of energy flooded into the center of the gate and whooshed out towards the team before collapsing back on itself and forming what looked like a shimmering pool of water. Krystal pocketed her new patch, and double-checked her weapon.

_"SG-1, you have a go."_

Mitchell waved at the General, who was in the control room before leading his team up the ramp towards the active gate. Without hesitation, Mitchell stepped through the threshold, followed by Teal'c and Dr. Jackson. Krystal stopped just before the Event Horizon and looked back at the Control Room. After a moment, she turned back towards the gate. Remembering her training, she exhaled before stepping through.

The physics behind the Stargate pretty much say that once you step in, you are instantly broken down into your base molecules, transmitted via wormhole to the corresponding gate, and put back together on the other side. The traveler doesn't experience this, and pretty much only steps from one location to another. Krystal always felt that time seemed to slow down for her, and she could see herself traveling along a Stargate generated roller coaster across the Galaxy. But that was just her. Coming out on the other side, Krystal immediately inhaled out of reflex. As soon as she was clear of the gate, it shut down. So far… P9F-141 was looking like just about any other planet with a Stargate on it. This particular planet was reminding her of her home state of Washington. A cool breeze blew by, carrying the faint scent of saltwater on it. With a smile, Krystal moved to catch up with the rest of the team.

"Nice place," Mitchell said, putting on a pair of sunglasses.

"Yea…" Krystal replied, pulling her hat off. "Reminds me of home."

"Where you from?" Mitchell asked, turning to face her.

"Tacoma," she said as she passed her new CO. Teal'c just raised an eyebrow before following their new team member. They made their way up a hill, and stopped when they saw what was on the other side.

"Well…" Mitchell said, pulling his sunglasses off. "I think we found the Galaxy's junkyard…"

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed with him. What appeared to be the wreckage of many ships littered the plains spread out before them. Most of the wrecks were recognizable as old Goa'uld ships, but a few were unlike anything they'd ever come across. Mitchell declared that they should check out a few, and started heading down the hill. Checking over her rifle again, Krystal soon followed. The closest of the ships was giving her a feeling of de ja vu. Making a beeline for it, Krystal couldn't help but feel a sense of loss as she looked at it. The craft was about the size of a Goa'uld cargoship, but sleeker and not as tall. Teal'c noted that it appeared relatively intact. All of this was lost on Krystal as she approached a hatch on the side.

"Lieutenant! You find something?" Mitchell called out, noticing her attention was elsewhere. She didn't respond. It was as though she was somewhere else entirely. Her hand slid across the side as if she was looking for something. Her probing fingers found an indentation, and pressed on it. A panel next to the hatch slid open. Before she could reach for the newly revealed access panel, a hand came down on her shoulder. Krystal jumped in surprise, discovering Col. Mitchell behind her.

"Easy lieutenant," he said, examining her handiwork. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you knew exactly how to open this thing up."

"I…" she stuttered, unsure what just happened. "I… have absolutely no idea what I just did."

"Lunar Runner…" Daniel said absently, looking at the faded markings on the side.

"Gesundheit?" Krystal said.

"The name of this ship," Daniel pointed out. "It looks like a variation of Ancient. If I translated it correctly, it says _Lunar Runner_."

Mitchell was poking at the now exposed panel, and managed to open the hatch. Krystal pulled out a scanner and poked her head through the open hatch. Having the ATA gene, she was able to use Ancient technology, and actually carried one of the Life Signs Detectors that were discovered in Atlantis. She had actually stumbled across other settings on the device, and was now using it to scan for energy readings. The scanner was indicating that there was still an active power source inside.

"I'm gonna have to get me one of those," Mitchell said, noticing the scanner in Krystal's hand.

"Picked mine up from a group that was sent back to Earth from Atlantis for study," she explained. "Comes in handy."

Something about this ship was giving her the creeps. It wasn't because the ship was old or anything, it was because it felt familiar for some reason. Making her way into the cargo bay, Krystal looked around. Her eyes fell upon a small box, and she froze. According to her scanner, it was the source of the energy signature. Finally approaching the box, she was shocked to find what looked like an orange tabby cat. It appeared to be perfectly preserved in a pose that suggested that it went into the box under serious protest. The feint red glow from the box confused her.

"Find anything lieutenant?"

Krystal jumped, then mentally kicked herself. She was having a hard time focusing.

"What the hell's wrong with me?" she asked herself before speaking up. "You'd better take a look at this sir."

Col. Mitchell came in, took one look at the box's occupant, and made a comment about finding Garfield. Slipping her scanner back into its pocket on her flak jacket, Krystal again approached the box. Reaching out, she placed her hand on the top of the box, only to have it phase through the clear material on top. Recoiling as though she had stuck her hand in something hot, she asked Mitchell to touch it. His hand just stopped on top of the material as though it was solid. Steeling herself, she again reached into the box. As soon as her fingers made contact with the body inside, the glow from the box intensified briefly before fading out completely. Again Krystal had recoiled, expecting some sort of failsafe to take her hand off or something. Mitchell leveled his P-90 on the box when an unexpected sound came out of it.

"…ryl's too strong! You can't… huh?"

Both humans blinked in surprise as the tabby cat poked its head over the edge of the box. The cat blinked in confusion as it looked at Mitchell, but then noticed Krystal. The red head's jaw dropped when it opened its mouth, and words came out.

"KAYLA! You're alive!" the female voice of the cat exclaimed as it jumped out, ran over to her, and started rubbing against her leg. "And… what are you wearing?"

"Uh…" was all that Krystal could get out. She was totally flabbergasted at the fact that the cat was talking, period. Her M-4 pretty much held loosely at her side as she tried to wrap her brain around something that seemed impossible. Thankfully, Daniel chose that time to poke his head in to tell them about some discovery.

"Cam! I think the people who built this ship weren't Ancients, but were closely related to them… what's with the cat?"

"The lieutenant made a new friend," Mitchell wisecracked. The cat turned to face Daniel, and pretty much gave him the Stink Eye. Krystal took the opportunity to pull out her scanner again, and run it over the cat. Nothing unusual came up, which confused her even more. She actually shook the device, wondering if it was malfunctioning. There was no way that a talking cat was natural.

"Kayla… who are these people?" the cat asked, making Daniel blink in surprise.

"It talks?" Daniel asked, kneeling down to get a closer look.

"Never seen a Lunarian Cat before?" the cat replied. "And for the record, I'm female. Get your pronouns right."

"Ok… who are you?" Krystal finally asked. "And why do you keep calling me Kayla?"

The cat looked up at Krystal in confusion before answering the second question in a tone that translated to "that's you dumbass". She then identified herself as Xena, again stating that Krystal should have known that. The young red head gave an exasperated sigh, then sat down on the floor to be closer to the feline.

"I'm sorry, but you must have confused me for someone else," she finally said. "My name's not Kayla. It's Krystal."

"What do you mean?" Xena asked. "The only way for that stasis pod to release me would have been for either the failsafe to kick in if power reached a critical level, or if I was awakened by a Sailor Scout. And obviously the power levels for the pod are not critical. And I know of only one red headed Scout, and that's _you_ Kayla. We've been together for years! I recognize you! Granted your hair is a bit shorter and in a different style. But the face is the same."

Krystal gave a pleading look up at Col. Mitchell. She was totally out of her element on this one. Unfortunately, no help would be coming from the former fighter pilot, as he was just as confused as she was.

Several hours and one trip through the Stargate later, Krystal couldn't help but utter the famous words that any little girl would say when they found something cute…

"It followed me home. Can I keep it?"

* * *

Setsuna watched as Ami absently tapped at a keyboard. The ambush had done more than take their friends from them, it had been a blow to their confidence. Although being far older than she appeared, Setsuna was able to handle the blow better than the young blunette. Ami, on the other hand, was feeling powerless to do anything now. Everything she tried to find where the others had been taken failed. Miserably. Luna and Artemis both had a concerned look on their feline faces. They knew that unless something happened, the future the Scouts had been fighting towards would never come to pass. They had already defeated Queen Beryl a few years ago, and, as they believed, ended the threat of the Dark Kingdom forever. Apparently… they were wrong.

"I don't know what to do…" Ami sighed.

"Give it time," the green haired woman said, resting a reassuring hand on Ami's shoulder. "I'm certain a solution will present itself."

Ami just shook her head. They were all but beat now. There was no way the two of them could fight off all the Youma alone. And on top of that, defeat whoever was now leading the Dark Kingdom. If there was a silver lining, it was almost impossible to see.

Setsuna looked out the window. She knew there was still a chance. A backup plan Queen Serenity had set up in case something terrible happened. A Reservist Scout. The problem was… where was she? The Guardian of Time closed her eyes, remembering when the pod carrying her body came back. Beryl had hoped to demoralize them by returning a fallen Scout. Although they had not known who she was, the sight of her body had the exact opposite reaction. After the funeral on Acheron, the defenders of the Lunar Kingdom fought with even more ferocity. But she knew. She had been there when the position was created. She had been there when Kayla was chosen. Like the others, Setsuna was certain that Kayla had been reborn. But unlike the others, she wasn't tied to them. When and where she would be reborn was up in the air. Opening her eyes, Setsuna looked back at Ami, and wondered how she'd be if Kayla was around. The two of them had been close friends in the past. Kayla's sudden "disappearance" before the arrival of the "unknown" Scout's body had hurt, but she had known that the possibility of one of them not coming back was there, due to the redhead's status as a Soldier. Again, Setsuna looked out the window.

"Where are you Earth?" she asked under her breath.

* * *

BLAM!

_"Oh COME ON!"_

"Try ducking next time."

Krystal smirked as she lined up on another soon to be unfortunate BLU team member's head. Once again… Not Ducking was proving why her Sniper Rifle had the prefix "Server Clearing". The last few days had been rather quiet. The next few missions for SG-1 had been canceled for some reason, which gave Krystal a chance to brush up on her _Team Fortress 2_ skills. Xena watched as another Blu, a Sniper, met the same fate as the previous unlucky Demoman. Adding insult to injury, Krystal hit the taunt key, making her Sniper wave. The orange Lunar Tabby didn't know what to make of the game, but was amazed at how well Krystal was performing. Krystal, on the other hand, was enjoying herself on one of her favorite maps, Mann Manor.

"Line 'em up and knock 'em down," she said as she headshot a Blu Heavy.

_"One of these days Duck…"_ one of the Blu's said over voice chat. _"I will take you down."_

"The day you do will be the day I become a Spy Master," she replied. Unlike Sniper, Pyro, Heavy, and Engineer, Krystal absolutely _sucked_ as the Spy.

_"You gotta actually play Spy to get better at it."_

"Oh I will… when I stop running into Paranoid Pyros."

Just about everyone on the server burst out laughing. They could relate to that. Krystal was so engrossed with her game that she didn't notice Colonel Mitchell standing in the door. Xena tried to get her attention, only to get brushed off with a comment about after the round. Cam just watched with an amused look as the young redhead continued to dominate the other team, almost feeling sorry for some of the kids on the other side of the Internet. From what he could tell… everyone on that server were familiar with Krystal's skill. Eventually he saw a new name pop up, only to vanish after getting dominated.

_"Rage Quit!"_

"Another RQ point for me," she replied.

"Having fun?"

Krystal jumped.

"Why do you always sneak up on me sir?" she asked.

Mitchell shrugged, then told her that General Landry wanted them in the Conference Room. With a sigh, Krystal told her online friends that she had to go. After exiting the game, she locked her computer and followed her CO. Mitchell was not saying much, which irritated the young redhead. Then again, maybe he didn't know what was going on either. Krystal didn't pay much attention to the airmen they passed, although seeing Colonel John Sheppard surprised her. Apparently, he was back from Atlantis for a bit. After dealing with the Super Hive, Atlantis had actually landed in San Francisco Bay. It would have only been a matter of time before the city was discovered, even with its cloak, so the decision was made to get Atlantis back to the Pegasus Galaxy. And luckily, the city's Hyperdrive was more then capable of handling the long trip. With the Ancient city now back in Pegasus, operations to counter the Wraith could continue.

They finally made their way to the Conference room, and Krystal blinked. There was a man of Asian descent wearing a suit seated at the table as well. Krystal pegged him as either a politician or a businessman. As soon as SG-1 was seated, General Landry introduced him as the Japanese Ambassador.

"It is an honor to meet the legendary SG-1," the Ambassador said, managing a slight bow even while seated. "Although classified, your exploits are well known to those with security clearance."  
"Thank you Mr. Ambassador," Mitchell said diplomatically. Odds are, the Ambassador was more familiar with the exploits of the original members of the team, two of which were still present. Krystal shrank down in her seat, feeling a bit like an outcast.

"The Ambassador has been asked by his government to approach the SGC concerning a… troubling matter," General Landry said, getting the meeting back on track.

"Yes. I apologize General," The Ambassador said before turning to face SG-1. He offered a file to each member, although he was a bit reluctant to hand one of the files to the resident rookie. Krystal didn't hold it against him; she was already feeling out of place thanks to him praising SG-1. She opened the file, and did a double take. There were photos of what appeared to be several young women in miniskirts, apparently in a fight of some sort. Similar looks of confusion crossed the face of Colonel Mitchell. Teal'c just raised an eyebrow. Dr. Jackson looked at the Ambassador after cleaning his glasses. No one spoke. The Ambassador must have decided to wait for SG-1 to say something, while SG-1 decided to wait for an explanation as to why they were looking at pictures of girls in their late teens to early twenties. Finally, Krystal couldn't wait for the shoe to drop, and dropped it herself.

"So… um… what's with the cheerleaders?" she asked. If there was one thing Krystal was known for, it was speaking her mind. Even if it got her into trouble. Daniel actually looked at her like she just hit on a taboo. Mitchell, however, couldn't help but smile. Apparently, he was thinking the same thing. The Ambassador wasn't even fazed by the bluntness of her question.

"They are not cheerleaders… lieutenant," the Ambassador said, finally identifying her rank. "They are, in fact, the greatest Defensive asset Japan has ever had. Granted they are not connected in any way with the Japanese Government or Defense Forces."

"So… what? Superhero Cheerleaders?"

General Landry facepalmed.

"No," the Ambassador replied in a matter of fact tone. "We know them as the Sailor Senshi, but in English, I believe the proper translation is…

"Scouts," Daniel finished. "You're saying these are the Sailor Scouts?"

Krystal recoiled at the revelation. The Ambassador, and General Landry, probably mistook the motion as disbelief or epic confusion, but the term actually struck a cord with her. That, and the things Xena had said back on 141 came back to her. Daniel explained that he knew a little bit about the group from a friend's daughter that he used to take care of a few years before going on the first Stargate mission. Apparently, after coming back, he had been in contact with some girl named Lita, who lived in Tokyo, through E-Mail. The Ambassador decided to continue.

"About a week and a half ago, the Scouts responded to an… incursion. For some time now, the Juuban district has been the target of… extraterrestrial assault. Our forces were… ill equipped to handle the situation. But then these girls appeared, and were able to fight them off. This time, however, I fear that the enemy has somehow gained an advantage. We believe that several Scouts have been… abducted. Our sources have not been able to confirm exactly which Scouts were taken, but we have been unable to locate the ones known as Venus, Mars, or Jupiter."

Krystal was about to ask about the names when Daniel explained that they apparently were supposed to draw their power from the planet they represent, again stating Lita as a reference. Krystal leafed through the file, and found pictures of the mentioned Scouts. Mars was apparently a Pyro, while Jupiter was throwing lightning bolts. Venus… Krystal didn't know what to make of her. It was still a lot to take in, even here at the SGC. As the Ambassador continued to pretty much give the known history of the Scouts to the members of SG-1, Krystal looked at the information about the Scouts. As soon as she came up on the information on Sailor Mercury, Krystal froze. Something about her felt very familiar, like she knew her from somewhere. She absently started twirling a pencil in her hand as she looked at the image of Mercury thrusting her hand out, and what looked like shards of Ice forming as though they were about to fly at an enemy.

Again having drifted off into her own little world, she was unaware that anyone was talking to her until Mitchell elbowed her. Apparently, the Ambassador had noticed her interest in one particular Scout. Brushing it off, Krystal tried to focus on the briefing as it continued. Apparently, this was a formal request from the Japanese Government for help from Stargate Command. Once the Ambassador was finished, General Landry said that SG-1 was to go to Tokyo and start investigating. The _Odyssey_ would be returning soon, so that the team would have access to the Asgard Core if they found anything. The Ambassador added that they would be set up with hotel accommodations as well as any supplies they would require.

"Lieutenant, I believe your presence on the team may also be a bit of an advantage as well," the Ambassador finally said.

"How so?" Krystal asked.

"Physically, the Scouts appear to be in their late teens to early twenties, although Saturn is a bit of a mystery. Perhaps the students at the local High School would feel more comfortable speaking with someone closer to their own age."

"Are you suggesting that I… what? Go undercover or something? We don't even know who the Scouts are."

"True. However, they seem to focus their efforts in the Juuban District. That has lead many to believe that they have some sort of connection with the area, either family or residence."

Krystal leaned back in her chair. She had a feeling that meant checking out the High School. But there was no guarantee that it would reveal anything at all. General Landry finally brought the briefing to a close.

"Pack your bags SG-1. Hope you like Japanese food."


	2. Welcome to Tokyo

Author's Note: Here we go! Chapter 2 has arrived! Still hoping I did both teams justice, and again want to state that any details that are wrong are not intentional. As always... reviews appreciated, advice more then welcome, and flames will be used for BBQ.

Disclaimer is in Chapter 1, and will remain there.

And now... on _Stargate SG-1..._

* * *

Chapter 2

Welcome to Tokyo

It was a quiet night in Downtown Tokyo. Well… quiet by Tokyo standards anyways. Setsuna was walking down the street, trying to think of something that would help with the current situation. So far… nothing. She stopped and leaned against the wall of one of Tokyo's biggest hotels. There had to be something. Maybe even some way to find Earth. It was starting to look like she'd have to tell Ami the secret she had been keeping from them for so long. She sighed. It wasn't something she was looking forward to.

Setsuna was pulled out of her train of thought as a non-descript Black SUV pulled up in front of the hotel. The first to get out was an American wearing glasses. The Guardian of Time pegged him as some sort of scientist. He had that curious, scholarly air about him. The next person was another American, who held himself in a somewhat casual, but still alert, manner.

_Hmph. Military. He's gotta be Military._ Setsuna thought as a large, dark skinned man soon joined the group. He had a hat on that seemed somehow out of place. The group was already looking out of place with the mix of individuals present. Setsuna was about to leave when a fourth person emerged from the SUV, looking rather flustered while trying to juggle a backpack and a pet carrier as she exited the vehicle.

"Cam… next time," the newcomer said in English, "You carry the cat!"

Setsuna looked over at the source of the voice, and blinked. A young American woman with red hair tied back in a ponytail. Something about her seemed familiar somehow, but Setsuna couldn't put her finger on it.

"Relax lieutenant," the military man said, confirming Setsuna's assessment, and identifying the woman as military as well. Although she seemed less disciplined than he was.

"I'll relax after I get over the jet lag," the redhead growled. "And get a cheeseburger or something."

As she watched the rather unusual group enter the hotel, Setsuna couldn't help but wonder as to who they were. And what was it about the redhead that seemed so familiar. Just before the redhead went through the door, the occupant of the pet carrier looked right at her. It wasn't a normal look either. It almost reminded her of the look Luna sometimes gives people she's never met before, or hasn't seen in a long time.

Krystal barely registered the fact that they were being watched as she entered the lobby of the hotel. She just followed behind the rest of SG-1. Xena shifted inside the cat carrier as if she was trying to get another look at the random person that was outside. At least the Orange Lunar Tabby knew to keep her mouth shut in public.

The fight from Colorado was non-stop on a private charter jet. The Japanese Government pulled out all the stops for them apparently. The young redhead only managed a couple hours of sleep on the way, and was still tired and now rather short tempered because of it. Her current plan was to get to their room and just mash her face against the pillow. And that was exactly what she did. They were shown to their room, which had 4 beds, and Krystal immediately claimed one as her own. Not even bothering to change, she put Xena's carrier down and fell face first onto the bed. Mitchell rolled his eyes, an amused look crossing his face. After letting the Lunar Tabby out of the carrier, he pulled out a laptop and started compiling all the data they had on the Scouts. It wasn't much, but the group was pretty secretive after all.

"Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c said after making sure the room was secure. "How are we to assist these individuals if we do not even know who they are?"

"Not a clue," Mitchell replied.

"Play it by ear," Krystal's muffled voice came from the bed. "Usual SG-3 plan."

"I thought you were dead set on passing out lieutenant?" Mitchell asked over his shoulder.

"Working on it," Krystal replied.

* * *

Morning came, and Ami was out for a walk. Her mom noticed her depression and tried to help, but nothing worked. Luckily, it was the weekend, so there wasn't any school. Looking out over Tokyo Bay, Ami thought about what she could have done differently in that battle. But no matter which angle she considered, nothing seemed to work. A couple ideas actually might have made things worse. Clenching a fist, Ami made a decision.

"I'm not gonna let this drag me down," she said to herself. "Thinking about it isn't gonna bring them back."

With a renewed sense of determination, Ami turned around, and accidentally ran into someone. Both fell to the ground. Ami recovered first, and saw a redheaded American woman who appeared to be in her mid twenties.

"Sorry," the woman apologized in English. "Still suffering from Jet Lag."

"That's ok," Ami replied in kind. "I wasn't exactly watching where I was going."

The woman pushed herself up, and offered to help Ami. The young blunette accepted the offer, somehow feeling like she could trust the American. Said woman said something about getting pulled out of bed in order to get used to the change in time zones by someone, and Ami blinked. She recognized the name from somewhere.

"Who?" Ami asked.

"Dr. Daniel Jackson," Krystal replied. "Archaeologist. I'm helping him with some research right now."

Ami remembered where she had heard that name before. She read something about an Archaeologist suggesting that the Pyramids were actually used as landing platforms for alien ships back in the nineties. Shortly after that, Dr. Jackson disappeared without a trace. It was strange to suddenly find out he was in Japan doing research.

"Sorry… I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Ami Mizuno."

"Krystal Jade. Nice… running into you," the American replied. Both laughed at the small joke. Ami decided to see if she could get any information about Dr. Jackson from this woman, and offered to show her around town. Also… this was a perfect thing to distract herself with.

Setsuna watched as Ami and the American started towards Downtown Tokyo. She had been worried about Ami for a while now, and wanted to keep an eye on her. It seemed like the young blunette had decided to focus her attention on something before running into the redhead. The pair seemed to hit it off instantly, despite having knocked each other to the ground. Breathing a sigh of relief, Setsuna decided to let them go. But why did she feel like she should know that redhead? Every time she sees her, its like a feeling of de ja vu hits her. Shaking her head, Setsuna headed off in the direction of her home. While on her way a thought crossed her mind that made her stop in her tracks.

_Could that American be Earth?_

* * *

So far the only thing fueling Krystal was a twenty-ounce bottle of Coke. But it was helping to keep her awake. It seemed kinda odd to her that she would feel like she could trust this complete stranger, but that was the feeling she got about Ami. Xena might say something, but then again… who knows what that cat would think about this situation. The fact that Ami had blue hair really didn't register with her either. They were walking along a main street in Downtown Tokyo, and Ami was saying something about getting some lunch. Blinking in confusion, Krystal checked her watch. Unfortunately, it was still set for Colorado.

"I guess I'll need to reset my watch when we do," Krystal said.

"So… what do you do for Dr. Jackson?" Ami asked.

"Mostly… try and keep things organized. You know how some scientists get. Stuff everywhere."

Ami laughed at that. Krystal kinda had the feeling that she knew exactly what that was like. It was a good thing Krystal was in civilian clothes, because she doubted Ami would be so friendly if she knew she was talking to an Air Force Lieutenant. The pair soon found their way to a little restaurant. Krystal sweatdropped when she saw that the menu was in Japanese. Ami must have seen the look on her face because she said that she'd translate for her. Shortly after that, Krystal was nomming on a sub sandwich. She was gonna have to let Daniel know about the story she told Ami on the off chance they'd ever meet. Ami hesitated for a minute before taking a bite of her food. Something was bothering the young blunette, that much was certain. But the way she was carrying herself, Krystal figured that she only recently decided to be more proactive about whatever was going on.

"Something on your mind?" Krystal asked, trying to start a conversation.

"It's nothing," Ami replied immediately. That confirmed Krystal's suspicions. She also decided not to press the issue, since they had just met. Ami suddenly asked to see her watch. Deciding that there was no harm in it, Krystal took her watch off and handed it to her. Ami took a look at the watch, gears turning in her head.

"If I'm right, you came from somewhere in the Midwestern United States," she said.

"Colorado, to be specific," Krystal replied. "Nice place. I still prefer the Pacific Northwest though. Doesn't get as hot."

Ami laughed as she adjusted the time on the watch, comparing it to her own. Krystal couldn't help but notice that Ami's watch seemed… different somehow. The blunette finished with Krystal's watch, and handed it back. It now read 1:20 PM.

"I'm surprised you didn't change it yourself," Ami said.

"Got in kinda late," Krystal replied. "First thing I wanted to do was sleep."

Ami was about to say something when Krystal's cellphone went off. Growling under her breath, she pulled it out and answered it.

"Hello?"

_"Any luck yet lieutenant?"_ Col. Mitchell asked on the other end.

"No sir," Krystal replied, the sir part coming out automatically. "Although I did manage to get some lunch, and… I think I just made a new friend."

_"Alright. But try to stay focused. I know you like the idea of being in the land of Mario, Sonic, and Godzilla, but we got a job to do."_

"Yes sir…" Krystal replied with a sigh. She looked up at Ami for a second before returning her focus to her CO on the phone. "I'll talk at you later Cam."

Ami waited for Krystal to finish, wondering why she would refer to the person on the other end as "sir". Krystal hung up, and returned to her lunch. While she was adjusting the American's watch, Ami noticed that she was looking at her watch. While normally that wouldn't be out of the ordinary, the fact that she seemed to focus on it a bit longer brought up a couple questions. Ami's watch was actually her communicator. It, like the Scouts, had a disguise spell on it. To everyone else, it would just look like a normal watch. She also noted that Krystal's watch had several features on it that would normally put it out of the price range of a research assistant, most notably a timer and stopwatch. It was also set on a 24-hour rotation instead of the more common 12-hour rotation.

_Is she military? _Ami thought, trying to piece together the limited data she had. Shaking her head, she figured that if Krystal was military, she was probably on leave or something. But that still conflicted with the story she told about being a research assistant.

"So… exactly how much Japanese do you know?" Ami asked.

"Enough to say hello, goodbye, and insult someone," Krystal replied. Ami couldn't help but laugh. Odds are, she got those words from TV and movies. Americans didn't always learn a second language. Ami's communicator beeped. Biting her lip, Ami excused herself and stepped outside so that Krystal wouldn't get suspicious. Making sure no one was watching, Ami responded. A white, feline face appeared on the small screen.

_"I know you still haven't recovered from that ambush, but we got Youma in the park,"_ Artemis reported. _"Pluto's already on her way, but from what I can see, you're closer."_

"I'll be on my way," Ami replied before closing the connection. Sometimes, duty had to come first. Poking her head back inside, Ami apologized for having to bail on her new friend. Krystal pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, quickly writing down a phone number.

"Here," she said, handing over the piece of paper. "Just in case you wanna talk or anything."

"Talk?"

"Its obvious something's bothering you. I've had crap thrown at me before myself. Sometimes you just need someone who's willing to listen."

"Thanks… I guess," Ami said, unsure what to think. Then again… they practically hit it off instantly. Pocketing the phone number, Ami said goodbye and ran down the street.

_I don't know why… but I actually feel better now._ Ami thought. Perhaps gaining a new friend after so many of her other friends were taken was a good thing.

Ducking into an unoccupied alley, Ami pulled out her Transformation Pen. One thought crossing her mind.

_I guess it's time for a little payback. And maybe I'll get a clue about the others._

* * *

Krystal watched as Ami ran down the street. Putting her hands in her pockets, she walked down the street in the opposite direction.

_Yea… I get the feeling we'd be good friends._ She thought as she walked. _But man can she run… It looked like she was in a hurry to get somewhere. Maybe it had something to do with that call._

Still no closer to finding out who the Scouts were, Krystal looked up into the sky. There had to be some way to contact them. But so far… the only thing she managed to do was befriend a local. Krystal had passed by one of the schools in the city, Juuban High, and found nothing. Then again, it was the weekend. Then she ran into Ami.

"Well… Jet Lag or no, been an interesting day," she said to herself as she continued down the street. Something caught her eye. Stopping to take a look, Krystal found a poster portraying someone wearing what looked like one of those Scout uniforms in Anime style. The hairstyle though was a dead ringer for the one that file called Sailor Moon.

"Ok… seriously… what's with that hair?" Krystal asked out loud. As she looked around, she noticed a couple other posters in the next window, portraying a couple other Scouts. Wishing she could read Japanese, Krystal decided that this place was better than wandering aimlessly hoping to catch a break. Opening the door, Krystal froze as soon as she took a step inside.

"What… the… fetch?"

She had found the Sailor Moon Fan Club.

* * *

Daniel Jackson stood outside the home of an old friend of his. He had to admit, he was a little worried since Lita hadn't been returning his e-mails lately. But it was gonna be good to see the girl's mother again. The last time they had seen each other was a couple months before that fateful day Catherine Langford approached him with a translation job. Taking a deep breath, he knocked on the door.

The door opened, and Mrs. Kino stepped out. She hesitated for a moment when she saw him.

"Daniel?" she asked.

"Hello Liz," Daniel replied.

"It's been… what… ten years?"

"Longer. Not since Lita was… what… three?"

The mention of her daughter seemed to darken Mrs. Kino's mood. It was good to see an old friend though. She invited him inside, and went into the kitchen. Daniel got a little worried at the sudden change in his old friend. Liz came out with a glass of ice water, and set it in front of him. He was about to ask when she spoke up.

"Lita's missing," Liz said. "She disappeared over a week ago. The police haven't been able to find her."

"I'm sorry," Daniel replied. "I had no idea…"

"How could you? You were on the other side of the world," Liz said in a defeated tone. "I know she got in contact with you. Lita could barely remember you, but she still managed to do it. After seeing an Indiana Jones movie, she said something about you wearing a fedora in Egypt."

"Lita's a smart girl," Daniel said, reassuring his old classmate. "Whatever happened, I'm sure she'll be alright."

"Where have you been anyways?" Liz finally asked. "Its almost like you fell off the face of the Earth after you said something about your newest theory about the Pyramids."

"Lets just say I got an opportunity of a lifetime."

The conversation went like that for at least an hour. Reminisce, reassure, laugh at an old joke… Finding out that the little girl that Daniel used to baby-sit was missing was upsetting, but there was nothing he could do about it. It was a matter for the Police to handle, not the SGC. Liz showed him a picture of Lita and her friends, saying that the tomboyish brunette wasn't the only one missing. Six of her friends had also turned up missing around the same time. Liz had only known four of them personally, but the idea of so many disappearing at the same time was disturbing. Daniel, however, was focused on the picture. One of the girls in particular, a blond with a rather unique hairstyle, caught his attention. What was it about that hairstyle that looked familiar? He then remembered one of the photos presented to SG-1 by the Japanese Ambassador.

_Either that is the most extreme coincidence of all time, or there's more to this than meets the eye..._ he thought. He just wished there was something he could do for his old friend Elizabeth Kino.

* * *

Teal'c looked up as someone knocked at the door of SG-1's hotel room. Mitchell tossed him a hat to cover up the golden sigil of Apophis as the burly Jaffa made for the door. With a practiced flourish, the hat was on his head before he opened the door. What surprised him was that instead of a person, Teal'c was confronted with a rather large number of bags.

"Little help here?" the voice of Lt. Jade came from behind the bags. Teal'c took half of the bags from the overwhelmed redhead, and moved to set them on one of the beds. Krystal used her foot to close the door behind her as Mitchell gawked at the sight of what appeared to be a girl having gone on a shopping spree.

"You are not gonna believe what I found," Krystal said as she threw the remaining bags onto the bed. The contents spilled out, revealing what was apparently a large collection of manga. Mitchell picked one of the books up, and examined the cover. He then looked at the young redhead, an implied question on his face.

"Found out the Scouts have a Fan Club. And apparently… they _really_ _like_ tourists," Krystal explained. "It was the least I could do to get out of there without needing a dump truck to haul everything they were trying to give me. Not to mention the American Dollar apparently goes farther in there than anywhere else."

Teal'c merely raised an eyebrow as the leader of SG-1 poked through the various books and items that were, according to the rookie, thrown at her because she was a tourist.

"You bought this stuff to shut them up?" Mitchell finally concluded. Krystal sighed, nodded an affirmative, and collapsed onto her bed.

"God… if I don't see another guy shoving a Sailor Moon comic in my face… it'll be too soon," the exhausted redhead said to herself. "For a group that's so secretive about who they are, they sure get a lot of attention."

"I'm sure Batman would appreciate the sentiment," Mitchell joked.

"They got books, replica costumes…" Krystal trailed off.

"They went all out?"

"And then some."

Teal'c looked over one of the books himself, curious as to why humans in this region of the Earth were so fascinated with this particular style of art. He was still quite skeptical about the part the Japanese Ambassador said regarding the "Supernatural powers" these young women were said to possess. He looked up at the sound of a bottle of carbonated liquid being opened, and found Lt. Jade with her favorite soft drink in hand. It wasn't long before she noticed that a certain member of the team was missing, and asked about his whereabouts.

"Daniel Jackson said that he was going to visit an old friend," Teal'c responded as he went back to examining Lt. Jade's newly acquired collection. For the next few minutes, the members of SG-1 sat in silence. A silence that was soon broken by a certain Orange Lunar Tabby.

"Wow… I had no idea the Sailor Scouts were so famous," Xena said, pawing through the books. At least she was refraining from saying anything about Krystal being one. The current theory that was going through the redhead's mind was that Xena's stasis pod had reacted to the fact that she had the ATA gene, not any kind of special power. After explaining that to the feline, Xena hadn't said anything further on the subject.

"So… what are you going to do with your new collection lieutenant?" Mitchell asked.

"Storage, probably," Krystal replied, pulling her Lantian Scanner out and poking at the screen. "If it was Star Trek or something like that… then I'd probably keep it back at the base."

Krystal eventually had to chase Xena away from the manga after the tabby had knocked some stuff on the floor in an effort to get a better look at something. The young redhead facepalmed when Xena did her best imitation of Simon's Cat and pointed at her mouth and meowed. While pulling out something for the cat to eat, a thought crossed Krystal's mind. Just how did the Ambassador get those photos of the Scouts? She voiced her thoughts, and Cameron Mitchell shrugged.

"Maybe the Japanese Government has agents working at the Fan Club?" he joked.

* * *

Back at the Sailor Moon Fan Club, ninety percent of the staff suddenly sneezed.

* * *

Author's Note: Wanted to show why Lita had been in contact with Dr. Jackson before the events of this story. Couldn't find any info on her mom, so... yea... Old friend of Jackson's. Also... you may notice that I am using a mix of English and Japanese names for the Scouts. That... IS intentional. Hope everyone is enjoying it so far.

And... I couldn't resist the anime sneeze thing. ^^

See you guys next week!

Next time on _Stargate SG-1_: Cliché bashing and Krystal gets into some trouble.


	3. Contact

Author's Note: Here we go! Chapter 3! Finally some action. I'm going to warn you guys right now that this chapter will probably show how limited my Sailor Moon knowledge is, so please don't kill me for any mistakes and feel free to provide tips for future projects. In fact... I encourage it as how else will I improve my skills as a writer if I don't get feedback? Although I have already finished the actual writing of this particular story, I am always open to tips that will help in the future.

Ok... shutting up now. On with the story!

* * *

Chapter 3

Contact

The next couple days were relatively uneventful. SG-1 staked out various locations, and came up empty. Krystal was able to meet up with Ami again for a lunch. Mitchell was happy for the redhead. She still seemed uncomfortable with her new posting with SG-1, and sometimes still called him by his rank even in casual conversation. Seeing her able to relax with a new friend who seemed to be willing to show her around town seemed to help her settle down.

Daniel offered a doughnut, and Teal'c instantly snatched one of his favorites out of the large box. SG-1 was currently staked out near Juuban High, one of the locations the Japanese Government believed the Sailor Scouts protected. Their theory was centered around the fact that the Scouts were essentially leading double lives, one as ordinary girls, the other as the local heroes. Considering how old the Scouts appeared, it was a safe bet that most of them were either in high school or recent graduates. Before Mitchell could take one of the sugary confections, a hand snaked into the box, and withdrew a chocolate doughnut.

"So… how much you guys wanna bet we're gonna leave here empty handed?" Krystal asked before taking a bite of her ninja'd treat.

"Don't worry lieutenant," Mitchell said. "We'll get lucky eventually."

"Not if we stay in this roving advertisement."

The three veteran members of SG-1 turned to face the rookie in the back seat of the SUV. Krystal blinked, took a bite of her doughnut, and asked what they were looking at. Teal'c just raised an eyebrow.

"Look…" Krystal explained. "We're on a stakeout… in a _black_ SUV with tinted windows. I don't know about you guys, but to me that kinda screams 'Government'."

Mitchell thought about it for a moment. He never really argued about the vehicles they got when doing missions on Earth. But now that he thought about it, they always did get non-descript black SUVs with tinted windows. And the black SUV with tinted windows was a pretty big cliché. He finally agreed with Krystal that she might be right.

"Maybe next time we'll spring for a different color," he said.

"Maybe blue or something. Anything besides black or silver. Or pink. I wouldn't touch that even if it was the last vehicle on Earth," Krystal replied. "I'd probably destroy it just to put it out of its misery."

Mitchell laughed as he pulled out a pair of binoculars.

* * *

Setsuna walked with Ami towards the school. It was the blunette's senior year, and she was still known as one of the best students in school. The green haired woman was about to break away when she noticed a black SUV parked on the other side of the street. Instantly, she suspected some sort of Government activity. Drawing from her vast experience, she had a feeling it was a stakeout of some sort. After leaving Ami to her own devices at School, Setsuna snaked around to try and get a better look at the SUV. Because of the tinted windows, she wasn't able to make out much, but she thought she saw that one of the four occupants had red hair.

_The Americans?_ Setsuna wondered. _What are they doing here?_

It wasn't long before one of the occupants got out of the vehicle, apparently in need of stretching his legs. It was one of the Americans all right. The one with the glasses. Setsuna pulled out her smart phone, and managed to get a picture of his face. She quickly e-mailed the photo to Artemis for research. The American just seemed to mill around as she watched, trying not to look out of place. Pocketing her smart phone, Setsuna decided to try and chase them off. Casually stepping out from her hiding place, she made her way over to the American and the SUV. The man seemed surprised when she approached and spoke to him, but quickly recovered.

"We're just taking a break while Cam's looking at a map," the American replied. Setsuna resisted the urge to laugh as the sound of frantic map unfolding emerged from the vehicle. Another door opened, and the redhead that had befriended Ami appeared on the other side of the vehicle. Setsuna's eyes narrowed for a moment.

"Yea… we're lost," the redhead said. Setsuna finally remembered that Ami said that her name was Krystal. Now that she was able to get a good look at her, Setsuna had a sudden feeling of de ja vu. A brief flash of a memory from back during the Silver Millennium popped into her head, the first time she met Kayla Sheppard.

"Maybe I can help," Setsuna offered.

_Crap… we've been made._ Krystal thought as she watched the green haired woman that had approached Dr. Jackson. She could tell that the woman was suspicious of their motives by the way she was standing. Again cursing the black SUV, Krystal stepped around the back and approached her.

"You know any good Mexican restaurants?" she asked.

"I think there's one on the other side of the city," the woman replied. Her gaze almost seemed to pierce through Krystal, as if she was trying to look into her soul. It kinda made the young redhead uncomfortable. Something about this woman seemed off. Although she appeared to be about the same age as her, Krystal could swear that there were a lot more years behind those eyes. And why was she picturing this woman with a staff? Luckily, Daniel broke the little standoff.

"Thank you for your help," he said.

"You're welcome," the woman replied, looking back at Daniel. Before she walked off, she again looked at Krystal. Even though she had fought a few battles against the Lucian Alliance, there was something about this woman that made her feel like finding a hole to hide in. As soon as she was out of earshot, Daniel approached Krystal.

"Nice save," he said.

"Yea…" Krystal replied. "Next time, we ditch the car."

With a chuckle, Daniel went back to his side of the SUV and climbed back in. There wasn't much of a point to stick around now.

* * *

"Wait… you want me to what?"

Artemis blinked as he looked at the image Setsuna had sent him.

_"I want you to find out who this is,"_ the Guardian of Time replied over the open channel. Artemis sighed, and slapped the keyboard with his paw. He wasn't sure he could find anything, considering he didn't really do research. He'd rather just find a sunbeam and lay in it right now. He started the search, and almost instantly got a hit. The white lunar cat blinked in surprise.

"Dr. Daniel Jackson, Archaeologist," he read out loud.

_"An Archaeologist?"_

"That's what it says here. Last thing he published was in… 1994. Something about the Great Pyramids in Egypt being landing platforms for alien ships. After that… nothing. He just disappeared."

_"Well… that kinda makes sense,"_ Setsuna said. _"I'd probably disappear too if I tried saying something like that."_

"So… gonna explain why you sent me a picture of an Archaeologist?"

_"Ran into him staking out Juuban High. He wasn't alone either. There were three other Americans with him. One in particular…"_

"One in particular… what?"

_"Never mind."_

Again, Artemis blinked. Setsuna mentioned something, then shut down real fast. Something was up. He finally said that he'd keep digging for clues. Setsuna closed the channel, and the white lunar cat sighed. It was gonna be a long day.

* * *

Krystal took a deep breath as she walked through the park. After the near miss with that woman near Juuban High a few hours ago, SG-1 had gone out and actually ate at a Mexican Restaurant so that they wouldn't look suspicious if confronted again. The familiar weight of her Combat Knife resting against her leg seemed heavier for some reason, but the young lieutenant didn't pay it any attention. She usually kept the knife on her even when in civilian clothes as a fallback, its sheath strapped to her right leg just above her ankle and hidden from view by her jeans.

"Who was that woman?" she asked out loud. It was creepy how she looked at her, but what was even creepier was the feeling that she knew her from somewhere. Shaking her head, Krystal just shoved her hands into her jacket pockets as she continued down the path. One thing she enjoyed was taking a walk through areas with trees like this. Seemed somehow relaxing. Normally she'd have her iPod with her, music blasting in her ears, but not this time.

A scream brought Krystal out of her thoughts. The redhead looked around, now on alert. Another scream, and she was off heading towards the source. She soon came upon a sight that came straight out of a movie. Some sort of humanoid creature stood over a small group of young teenage girls. One of the girls saw her, a pleading look in her eyes. Krystal hesitated for a moment. Should she call for backup? No… by the time the rest of SG-1 arrived it might be too late. Pulling up her pants leg, Krystal reached down, and pulled out her Combat Knife.

"HEY! UGLY!" she yelled.

The creature turned to face her. Yup. No doubt about it. Not human. Bronze skin, pointed ears, an outfit that looked like it came out of the old _Conan_ movie… Krystal reversed her grip on her knife so that the blade was now below her hand. The creature sized her up, and seemed to dismiss her before turning its attention back to the teenagers. Narrowing her eyes, Krystal charged.

Mercury ran as fast as she could. Another Youma had turned up in the park. This time, she was determined to find answers. Pluto was right next to her, Staff of Time strapped to her back. Hopefully it wasn't another ambush. As the pair approached the location, she was surprised to already hear the sounds of combat. Someone was already fighting the Youma. Spurred on by a new sense of urgency, Mercury charged ahead. The two remaining Scouts soon came upon a sight they never expected. The Youma was being harassed by a single person defending a group of teenagers. Mercury's eyes went wide as she realized the defender was female, and had red hair. It wasn't long before the identity of the defender was revealed, as Krystal was thrown back into a tree. Quickly activating her visor, Mercury scanned the Youma for weaknesses. It was an Elite level Youma, which didn't bode well for Krystal. Turning her attention to her friend, she found a weapon on the ground next to her. Her visor locked onto it and identified it as a standard issue United States Military Combat Knife. Krystal pushed herself back onto her feet, scooped up the blade, and charged.

The Youma turned, and tried to backhand the nuisance, only for the redhead to duck under the strike and lash out with one of her own. Bringing her arm up, Krystal slashed the Youma across its side. The attack seemed to have little effect, as once again, the redhead was sent flying into another tree. The Youma was about to land a blow that would surely take her out of the fight when Mercury finally stepped in, blocking the blow.

"Senshi," it growled, instantly lashing out at the blunette.

Pluto pulled her staff off her back when she noticed the redhead pushing herself back up again.

"Stay down and cover the girls," Pluto ordered in English. "We'll take it from here."

What happened next actually threw the Guardian of Time for a loop. Krystal looked up right at her, a fierce determination in her eyes. She had no intention of backing down as long as the Youma was a threat. But what really surprised her was that upon the young American's forehead, a glowing green symbol appeared. One that Pluto hadn't seen in centuries. An A without the crossbar with a small circle above it. Without saying a word, Krystal again scooped up her Knife, and launched herself at the Youma.

Mercury ducked as the Youma tried to strike again. She was about to launch a magical attack when the Youma suddenly reeled back. Momentarily forgetting about her, the Youma turned around. The blunette saw Krystal's knife embedded into its back. The owner of the knife ducked under a backhand, and slammed her palm into the Youma's face at an upward angle. The force of the blow, although nowhere near that of a Sailor Scout's, was enough to snap the Youma's head back. Growling as it recovered, the Youma blocked another strike, and actually grabbed the redhead by the neck. Krystal struggled in its grasp as she was raised off the ground. Thinking fast, Mercury grabbed the knife, and pulled it free. The Youma cried out, but didn't have time to react as Pluto soon joined the fight. Both Scouts launched an attack from either side, causing the Youma to drop Krystal. In retaliation for grabbing her, the redhead lashed out with a leg, tripping the Youma. As soon as she scrambled away, Mercury and Pluto unleashed a devastating magical attack, destroying the Youma.

Krystal was breathing heavily. Whatever that thing was, it was not a pushover. Luckily, two Scouts had arrived in time to help. Shaking her head, Krystal pulled herself to her feet to check on the teenagers. Although scared out of their minds, they seemed to be just fine. Krystal groaned when they tried asking her a question in Japanese. Unable to respond, the young lieutenant just checked them over for injuries. As she was checking one of the girls, a blue boot appeared next to her. Looking up, Krystal came face to face with none other than Sailor Mercury. The blue haired Scout held out her combat knife, hilt first.

"Thanks," Krystal said, taking hold of the weapon. Mercury released her grip, and Krystal put the knife away. Again, the teenagers tried to ask her something. Seeing the frustration on the redhead's face, Mercury translated for them. Feeling a bit better that at least one of the Scouts spoke English, Krystal said that they should be fine now before turning her attention to the blunette.

"I didn't know how long I'd be able to hold that thing off," she said. "Thanks for showing up when you did."

"I should be thanking you," Mercury replied. "If you hadn't distracted the Youma, we might not have gotten here in time."

"Although that was a rather stupid move on your part."

Krystal looked passed Mercury, and saw Pluto standing behind her. The way the Guardian of Time was standing, Krystal could tell she wasn't exactly pleased with the idea of someone else doing their job. But there was something else. Something Krystal couldn't put her finger on. Mercury spoke up again.

"You were very brave. Most people wouldn't stand a chance against a Youma," she said.

"Had to do something," Krystal replied.

Mercury nodded. Before she could say anything else, Krystal dug into her pocket and pulled out one of the cards Colonel Mitchell gave her.

"By the way, I'm Lieutenant Krystal Jade, United States Air Force," she introduced herself. "Whatever you're facing, you don't have to fight alone."

Mercury blinked in surprise. Krystal was military. She accepted the card that Krystal held out. It was for a Colonel Cameron Mitchell, United States Air Force.

_Why is the US Air Force even here?_ She thought. _And why are they interested in us?_

Not letting on that she was confused by what was going on, Mercury smiled at the American. Pluto bluntly stated that they should get going, making Mercury scowl. The look on Pluto's face got her attention though. Something was on her mind. Again thanking Krystal for her help, Mercury dashed off after Pluto. Once they were well away from prying eyes, the green haired Scout came to a stop. The Guardian of Time turned to face her.

"What was that all about?" Mercury finally confronted her.

"There is something I need to tell you," Pluto replied in a matter of fact tone. "Something that I've been hiding from you and the others for some time now."

Mercury blinked. Pluto was actually admitting to not telling them something? The green haired Scout walked over to a nearby tree, and leaned against it. Mercury could tell that this was apparently something that had been weighing on her mind for some time now.

"Back during the Silver Millennium, Queen Serenity consulted me on a troubling matter. She feared that one day we would be faced with a threat that even we would be hard pressed to counter. So… she secretly created a tenth position among the Sailor Scouts. Earth," Pluto said, looking up into the sky. "She was basically recruited as a backup, a reservist in case we ever needed help. Ever since Moon and the others were taken, I've been trying to find out what happened to Earth. I've just… been debating on when to tell you."

Mercury couldn't believe what she was hearing. Another Sailor Scout? But… that was impossible… wasn't it? And… who was this other Scout? Pluto finally looked over at Mercury, and told her to access her computer and look for a specific file. Pulling out her palmtop, she did so, and was surprised to find it… password protected. Pluto held out her hand, and Mercury turned over the computer. After a minute, she handed it back. There, displayed on the screen, was the symbol that represented Sailor Earth… but it wasn't the symbol for Earth that Mercury was familiar with. She looked up at Pluto.

"In order to prevent a conflict between her and the Earth Prince, the Queen used another symbol. One found on a device that hasn't been seen for over ten thousand years now. That symbol represents Earth in a network of interplanetary gates built by the Alterans," Pluto explained. "And… I now know who Sailor Earth is."

"Who?" Mercury asked.

"We were just talking to her."

* * *

Krystal made her way back to the hotel, and immediately collapsed on her bed. The rest of SG-1 had decided to stake out another location earlier, and hadn't returned yet. She had actually managed to meet not one, but two of the Scouts. And it was in combat with a hostile alien. Now they knew that help was available. They just had to ask. Krystal rolled onto her back, still pretty sore after that fight.

"I just hope it wasn't for nothing," she said to herself. A now familiar weight landed on her bed, and Krystal automatically reached out and started scratching Xena behind her ears.

"Hope what wasn't for nothing?" Xena asked.

"Actually found two of the Scouts," Krystal explained. "Didn't have much time to explain, but I gave them Colonel Mitchell's card."

"Which ones?"

"Mercury and Pluto I think."

The young lieutenant sighed and looked out the window overlooking the city. SG-1 had made its move. Now it was the Scouts turn. She just hoped that they'd actually take it.

* * *

Author's Note: Hope you guys liked it. Things are going to start getting interesting now. Also... having cats of my own kinda helps with feline behavior. lol

Next time on _Stargate SG-1_: What the fetch is Krystal wearing?


	4. Reveal

Author's Note: Another week, another chapter. I just want to thank my own cats for some minor help with feline behavior. Just warning you now there is one instance of language in this chapter. As always... reviews appreciated and advice welcome.

* * *

Chapter 4

Reveal

"That's not possible!"

"There is no Earth Scout!"

Setsuna leaned back against the wall, pinching the bridge of her nose. Both lunar cats were adamant that what she just revealed to them was impossible. Ami was busy looking for any information on both Krystal and this Colonel Mitchell. She had managed to hack her way into US Air Force Personnel files, and was currently sifting through a lot of files. After what seemed like forever, she finally found the ones she was looking for.

"Its true," Setsuna replied. "The reason you never knew about it was to protect her."

Ami tuned out the conversation as she looked over the files. Blinking in surprise, she discovered that there was yet another layer of security on them. All she managed to find out was that they were both assigned to a facility in Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado.

"Why would there be so much security on their files… unless…" Ami said to herself. Apparently, her musing didn't go unnoticed. Luna and Artemis asked what she was talking about. Ami turned to look at both felines, and explained that the only reason she could think of for so much security was if they were both involved in some sort of Black Ops.

"But that doesn't explain Dr. Jackson's involvement with her," Setsuna pointed out. "He's an Archaeologist, not a soldier."

"What do you mean?" Ami asked. The green haired woman told her about the encounter with Dr. Jackson, and the fact that Krystal had come out of the SUV at one point.

"There still can't be an Earth Scout!" Luna declared, coming back to the subject of Sailor Earth. "Only the Prince draws his power from the Earth."

"Luna, try doing that flip you do to make a Transformation Pen," Ami suggested. The dark furred feline just gave her a blank look. Ami sighed, and asked her to humor her. With a sigh, Luna prepared to jump. She was fully expecting nothing to happen. To her surprise, a new Transformation Pen materialized and landed on the floor at the top of her arc. Setsuna picked it up and examined it. It had a green and blue color scheme with gold trim, and the gate symbol for Earth. Luna just stared at it in disbelief.

"We should approach her about this," Artemis finally said, breaking the silence.

"Krystal's an Air Force lieutenant," Ami reminded him. "Its not gonna be like when any of us found out."

"You still have her number?" Setsuna suddenly asked. Ami nodded, unsure what she was thinking of.

"Call her," Setsuna said. "Have her meet you at the Shrine."

Catching on, Ami reached for her cell phone. She really didn't know how Krystal would react to finding out about her status as a reserve Scout, especially since she was active duty Military. Hoping for the best, she dialed the number.

* * *

Xena yawned as she stretched. Krystal had volunteered to get the food tonight, and was currently out on the town hunting down something that didn't require chopsticks. Colonel Mitchell was flipping through the channels on the TV while Dr. Jackson was again looking over the files given to them by the Japanese.

"Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c said. "If the Sailor Scouts contact us, how much should we tell them about the Stargate?"

"Damn…" Mitchell replied. "Never thought about that. I'm gonna have to check with the General. We were kinda rushed out here. Didn't have time to discuss whether or not we're going full disclosure with them."

Any further comment on the subject was countered by Sonic music suddenly playing. Specifically _Green Hill Zone_. Daniel turned, and found the source, Krystal's cell phone. Rolling his eyes, he got up and walked over to pick it up. The rookie member of the team had forgotten it in her haste to find food. He flipped it open and answered it. A young woman's voice came through the other end asking about Krystal, and who had answered.

"I'm Dr. Daniel Jackson," he replied.

_"Oh! It's a pleasure to speak to you Dr. Jackson. Krsytal's told me a lot about you. I'm Ami Mizuno. I was just wondering if she was around, considering this is her cell phone."_

"Krystal kinda forgot it when she left to get Dinner," Daniel said. He remembered what the redhead had said about claiming to be his research assistant.

_"That's ok. Anyways… I was wondering if you needed her tonight."_

"Not really…"

Ami explained that she wanted to meet her somewhere. Daniel grabbed a pencil and paper, and wrote down an address. After some brief small talk, he closed the cell phone. Mitchell looked over at the scientist.

"Well?" he asked.

"That was Krystal's new friend," Daniel explained. "Apparently, she wants to talk to her about something."

"Perhaps it would be best if one of us accompanied Lt. Jade," Teal'c suggested.

"I'll go."

All heads turned to face the volunteer. Xena blinked, then asked if her fur was out of place or something. Mitchell asked why she would volunteer.

"Look… having one of you guys show up with her is gonna look suspicious. But if she shows up with a cat…" the orange Lunar Tabby explained. Mitchell had to admit, she had a point. The only one besides her that wouldn't look suspicious was Dr. Jackson. And that would only work if he didn't stay. No one would suspect a cat to be watching her. Speaking of which, Krystal came through the door with four McDonald's bags.

"Ok… managed to snag a taste of home. One Big Mac for Teal'c, Fillet o' Fish for Jackson, two Quarter Pounders for Cam, and a ten piece for me," she said as she handed out the food. Daniel delivered Ami's message and handed her the address. Krystal thought for a moment as she popped a piece of chicken into her mouth. Mitchell then explained that Xena was going to go with her. At first, she opposed the idea. But the Colonel then explained the reasoning, and she relented. After she finished her dinner, Krystal grabbed her backpack, emptied it, and told Xena to jump in.

"Leave an air hole," the orange tabby said as she climbed in. Closing it just enough to keep her secure, Krystal headed for the door.

"Don't leave a mess in there," she said as she opened the door. "That's my favorite backpack."

* * *

Ami was pacing in front of the Shrine. It was one of the places the Scouts used for meetings, and also Rei's home. Her Grandfather was out with some of his old friends, still struggling with Rei's disappearance. It didn't feel right to be here without her. Luna and Artemis were perched on the wall overlooking the street. They volunteered to watch for trouble while they approached Krystal.

_This feels weird. I'm actually going to reveal that I'm Sailor Mercury to someone._ She thought. _And not just anyone… a military officer._

If what she found was true, Krystal was in some pretty deep Black Ops. But there was still the question of her association with Dr. Jackson. She was brought out of her thoughts when Luna meowed. Looking up, she saw the redhead looking at a piece of paper, probably trying to make sure the address was correct.

"Hey Krystal!" she shouted, getting the woman's attention. Krystal looked up, and immediately pocketed the paper. She walked up to her and smiled.

"Sorry," she apologized. "Kinda got lost for a while."

"That's ok," Ami replied, then noticed Krystal's backpack. The redhead just brushed it off, claiming that she packed a couple things when questioned about it. Ami motioned for her to follow as she headed up towards the Shrine.

_What is this place? _Krystal thought. It was a strange place to meet, but maybe it was important to Ami for some reason. At least… that's the sense she got while talking to her. Xena shifted inside the backpack. As soon as they were passed the gate, Krystal blinked in surprise. It looked like a Shrine of some sort, but her attention was on the garden. Whoever tended it was very good. Carefully slipping the backpack off, Krystal looked around in wonder. Even the tree was vibrant and healthy. She got a feeling of peace just looking at the place. Making sure to be careful, Krystal placed her backpack on the ground. The plan was for Xena to slip out when Ami was distracted, and find a place to observe. And just like they planned, Xena slinked out as soon as she got the signal, Krystal nudging the backpack with her foot.

"So… favorite hangout?" Krystal asked.

Xena found a way up the wall, and perched herself on the roof of the Shrine. She had a perfect view of both Krystal and the blunette she was talking to. What she didn't know was that her stealthy arrival hadn't gone unnoticed. A pair of other cats were slinking around, inching their way closer.

Ami sighed. It was now or never.

"Krystal… There's something we need to discuss," she said as she put her hands in her pockets. Her fingers closed around her Transformation Pen, but she didn't pull it out.

"Well… I'd say 'pull up a chair', but there aren't any," Krystal replied with a sideways smile. Ami caught sight of Pluto on the other side of the garden. The Guardian of Time nodded, indicating that she should proceed. Again, Ami sighed.

"You said that you'd be willing to listen when we first met," she said. "Well… first off, I need your word that what I'm about to reveal stays between us."

"Alright," Krystal replied.

"You cannot tell anyone. At all."

"Classified, top secret. Got it."

Ami closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She pulled her Pen out of her pocket, and held it in front of her.

_Here goes nothing._

"Mercury Star Power!"

Krystal blinked in surprise. One minute Ami was standing in front of her, the next, Sailor Mercury was. For about a minute, the redhead had a blank, confused look on her face.

_Ami is Mercury?_ She thought. _And… how the HELL didn't I see that? Other than the outfit, she looks the same! And… why does she trust me with her identity all of a sudden? And…she knows I'm Air Force…_

"The reason I revealed myself to you is because… we need your help," Mercury said. "And you are the only one who can."

"Me? What can I do?" Krystal asked. Granted she was hoping the Scouts would contact SG-1 for help, but this was not exactly what she was expecting.

"A Scout would only reveal her identity to another Scout, or someone they know they can trust with their life."

Krystal turned around, and saw Pluto standing behind her. There was something in her hand. Something that looked about the same size as that stick thing that Ami held before she transformed. The green haired Scout stepped around her, and stood next to Mercury.

"When you fought the Youma, I saw something. Something I had been looking for now for over a week," Pluto said. "You see… the other Scouts were captured by the Dark Kingdom. Mercury and I are the only ones left. Well… except for one other."

Krystal blinked. They were both looking at her. Xena's words from when they first met briefly popping into her head.

"I know this is going to be hard to believe, but you're one of us," Mercury said. "And… we really need your help."

Pluto held out the stick, offering it to Krystal. The redhead was still confused. Mercury put a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder and said that if she didn't believe them, she should take the stick and find out for herself. Taking a deep breath, Krystal reached out for the stick. As soon as her fingers brushed up against it, time seems to come to a stop as images formed in her mind. They seemed familiar, almost like a memory, but at the same time not.

_"So that's it?" a raven-haired woman asked, crossing her arms across her chest._

_ "What's that supposed to mean?" she replied._

_ "You're just going to accept this 'special assignment' without question?"_

_ "Alti… if it means I have a shot at making a difference, then yes."_

_ The raven-haired woman facepalmed, before locking eyes with her._

_ "Kayla, you're going to get yourself killed!" Alti said._

_ "That's a risk I face every day anyways!" she countered, brushing some of her red hair out of her face._

"_No! You're gonna get yourself killed just like Mom and Dad!"_

_"THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MOM AND DAD!" she yelled. Alti hit a nerve. Taking a deep breath, she relaxed. "Look. I'm doing this to protect people. That includes you Alti. You're my sister after all. If I don't step up… who will?"_

Krystal shook her head. That was totally unexpected. Focusing on the present, she took hold of the stick. Pluto let go, and dropped her hand.

"Um… ok… what is this?" Krystal asked.

"A Transformation Pen," Mercury explained. "This allows us to transform into our Scout forms."

"Just hold it out and say what comes naturally," Pluto added.

Taking a deep breath, Krystal held out the stick. For a moment, she felt stupid doing it. She was surprised when she suddenly knew what to say.

"EARTH STAR POWER!"

Xena smiled. She was right after all. The proof was standing there in front of Mercury and Pluto. Unlike the other Scouts present, Krystal's fuku was predominantly green with white highlights. Her knee high boots were green with a teal stripe on top, and she had teal bows. A round blue broach adorned the bow in front. Besides white gloves, she had gold wrist guards. Xena jumped when a voice came from behind her. One she hadn't heard for a long time.

"And who are you?"

Xena turned, and saw a familiar white cat.

"Artemis?" Xena asked. The white lunar cat blinked in surprise.

"Do I… wait… Xena?"

The orange lunar tabby rushed over, and rubbed against Artemis. Although for her it only felt like a few weeks due to stasis, it had been much longer than that. Another voice, this one borderline angry came up.

"Artemis… who is this… mutt?"

Xena looks back, and sees a dark furred cat puffed up and ready to pounce. Artemis sweatdropped as he positioned himself in the firing line.

"Luna… this is Xena. My long lost sister," he said. The other cat, now identified as Luna, went wide-eyed before passing out.

Krystal was still in shock. Here she was, standing there in a Scout uniform, complete with tiara and bows. She wasn't exactly thrilled about the skirt though. Granted it wouldn't be a problem with agility, she just wasn't the type to wear something like that. Hell… she hated it when she had to put on her dress uniform. She took a step backwards. Looking at the other two Scouts, Krystal was unsure what to say, or even do for that matter. Pluto must have seen the look on her face, as her posture relaxed.

"If you need time to think about this, take what you need," she said. "But keep in mind that we might not be able to save the others without you."

"And if you need someone to talk to" Mercury added, holding out something. "Don't hesitate to call."

Krystal took what Mercury was offering, and discovered a high tech looking watch. Her mind instantly flashed to when Ami was adjusting the time on her own watch. After a second of playing with it, she discovered it opens, and that it was a communicator. Mercury said that if any Youma appear, she'd make sure to tell Artemis not to alert her about them yet. Krystal blinked at that, asking who she was referring to. The blunette explained that Artemis was a lunar cat, and was an advisor to one of the captured Scouts. He, along with another named Luna were present at the Shrine. Krystal cringed, figuring that they noticed Xena. Her hunch was proven correct when he heard a couple new voices, along with a familiar one.

"You never said anything about a sister!"

"I thought she died a long time ago!"

"I got shoved into a stasis pod. Not my fault I couldn't call or send postcards."

"You haven't changed a bit have you?"

"Nope."

Krystal turned, and saw three cats having a conversation. Under normal circumstances, the redhead probably would have voluntarily scheduled a psych evaluation back at the SGC, and maybe even a brain scan. But these were not normal circumstances. Mercury finally told Krystal to get some rest. Not even arguing about it, Krystal grabbed her backpack. Just as she was about to leave, she turned around.

"Um… how do I change back?"

* * *

Xena watched as Krystal just leaned against the rail. After coming back to the hotel, she just dropped her backpack and walked out onto the balcony. The rest of SG-1 had gone to sleep about an hour after they arrived, and the resident redhead was still perched out here. She was twirling her new Transformation Pen while just looking out over the city. For a moment, Xena saw Kayla standing there, as she also had a habit of twirling _her_ pen when deep in thought. Although Krystal was a totally different person, Xena could see little things in her that reminded the feline of her old friend. After scratching herself behind her left ear, the orange Lunar Tabby walked over and sat next to the redhead.

"Still thinking about it?" she asked.

"I don't know what to do…" Krystal replied, still looking out over the city.

"It's a part of who you are Krystal," Xena said in a matter of fact tone. "There's nothing to be afraid of."

"You don't understand," Krystal said, finally turning to face the talking cat. "I'm an Air Force Lieutenant assigned to the SGC. I'm not a superhero!"

"Neither were the Scouts. Now look at them. Look at all the good they've done."

Krystal gave an exasperated sigh as she sat down. There was so much on her mind; she just couldn't figure anything out. For a moment, she actually considered just throwing the magic stick as hard as she could. But something held her back. She looked down at the stick in her hand. It was hard to imagine that such an innocent object just turned her life upside down. It felt so right, but at the same time…

"I'm not a hero," Krystal said again. "I'm just some Pacific Northwest girl who was lucky enough to have a specific gene. If not for the ATA gene, I probably wouldn't even be here."

"Why did you join the Air Force?" Xena asked.

"I wanted to help people," Krystal explained. "I wanted to make a difference. And when I joined the SGC… I don't know. I felt like I belonged there. Helping to defend Earth from whatever would threaten it."

"You joined up out of a desire to protect others. Kayla was the same way."

"I'm not Kayla! I don't even know who she was!"

"Short version, in a way you are Kayla. Just… reincarnated. I don't know the specifics, I didn't really have much time to talk to Artemis about everything that's happened since I was put in stasis," Xena replied. "You _are_ a unique individual, but you also inherited many traits from your past life. One being your habit of twirling rod shaped objects while thinking."

Krystal leaned back, and looked up at the stars. Things were so much easier back at the SGC, and back home in general. She was wishing that she was off world right now, exploring some unknown ruin or something. Anything… except dealing with this right now. Getting back up on her feet, Krystal made her way back into the hotel room.

"I don't even know who I am anymore…" she said to herself.

* * *

Author's Note: And so... Earth is revealed. But is our resident Redhead ready for all of this?

Anyways... to explain the outfit, I wanted something that would set her apart as she was never a part of the original team. The wrist guards are there mostly because she was a soldier and not royalty, while the colors are more representative of her planet, at least in my opinion.

Next time on _Stargate SG-1_: SG-1 vs the Aliens


	5. Aggressive Negotiations

Author's Note: Hope you guys are up for some more action, because here's the next chapter!

* * *

Chapter 5

Aggressive Negotiations

"Commander, once again, our forces were unable to capture the remaining Senshi."

Alti turned around and faced the Youma that gave the report. Her ruby gaze locked with the Youma's, and for a moment, the messenger feared for her life. Beryl was known to execute anyone who brought her news she didn't want to hear. But Alti was not Beryl.

"They were working as a team again," she stated flatly.

"Yes Commander," the Youma replied. "However… there was something else."

"Something else?"

"Yes Commander. An ordinary Human was involved as well."

"And that is different how? The Scouts come running if even one Human is threatened."

"This was different. The Human arrived _before_ the Senshi and engaged the Youma we deployed."

Alti thought about it for a moment. No ordinary Human would stand a chance against a normal Youma. And she had sent an Elite. Alti asked for details, and learned that the Human, a woman with red hair, seemed to fight as though she was trained. Although still no match for an Elite Youma, the Human woman was enough of a distraction for the Scouts to destroy her. Again… a setback in her plans.

"No more games… Prepare a strike team. There are only two Scouts, and I want them captured," she ordered. Walking over to a map table, Alti looked over recon data of Tokyo.

"We need a target the Scouts will not ignore at all," she said, before pointing at one location. "Juuban High. Plenty of Humans there. Take them hostage, and the Scouts will come running… right into our hands."

* * *

Cameron Mitchell was a little worried. Ever since last night, the resident rookie of SG-1 had been in a funk. Even Xena seemed quiet about what happened. Krystal had already spent half the day just standing out on the balcony looking out at Tokyo. Teal'c, as talkative as ever, was watching the local news for anything out of the ordinary. Granted none of them could understand Japanese, they could at least figure out if something big was happening. So far, the only good news was that the _Odyssey_ had returned, and was now available to support SG-1. On top of that, Samantha Carter was currently in command, as the _George Hammond_ was currently undergoing repairs after a recent ambush by Lucian Alliance forces.

"Colonel Mitchell!" Teal'c called out, drawing the team leader's attention. Poking his head around the corner, Mitchell saw that something was going on. It was a live report from somewhere. It looked like a school, and it was surrounded by police. It took a minute for him to recognize it as Juuban High, the school they staked out. Something was seriously wrong there. One word that kept coming up was "Youma".

"Jackson! Jade! Let's go!" Mitchell ordered. Krystal seemed to snap out of her funk and was inside instantly. Daniel came over a second later. Both saw the Breaking News, and had an idea what was going on. It wasn't long before the team was downstairs, in their SUV, and off to the school.

* * *

_"Again, Juuban High is in a state of Lockdown. Despite the claims of Youma taking hostages by the few students that made it out, authorities are not commenting on the situation and urge parents not to come to the school."_

Setsuna swore under her breath. Youma. It had to be. Artemis had reported Youma, but there were no sign of any at the location the white cat gave her. Jumping to her feet, the green haired woman pocketed her Transformation Pen, and ran out the door.

_Ami's already there, but is probably unable to break away to transform._ She thought. _And Krystal isn't ready. Poor girl probably doesn't even know what to think._

* * *

They arrived at the perimeter of the police blockade, and were stopped by a uniformed officer. Mitchell rolled down his window, and got a bunch of Japanese words thrown at his face that most likely translated to "Turn around". Not even fazed, the Colonel produced his military ID. The officer blinked in surprise, then called for another officer. Luckily, this one spoke English.

"We have the situation under control, please turn around and leave Police business to the Police," he said.

"I'm Colonel Cameron Mitchell, United States Air Force," Mitchell replied. "We're here to help."

"This does not concern you. Please move along."

Apparently, the exchange didn't go unnoticed, as another man in a suit approached. He took one look at Mitchell, and took over the situation.

"I am Agent Kinamoto. And you are?"

Mitchell again identified himself. The agent looked past Mitchell at the passengers in the SUV. He then said something that would come across as cryptic to the police officer.

"SG-1?"

Mitchell was thrown off guard, but nodded.

"Let them pass," the agent said to the officer, before adding something in Japanese. Apparently deflated by whatever the agent said, the officer waved them through.

"Get the hell outa the way!" Krystal said from the back seat, as diplomatic as a brick. Mitchell pulled the SUV in next to the command center, and the team exited the vehicle. The same agent approached them, and gave them a rundown on the situation.

"Despite what we are saying to the media, we have confirmed the presence of Youma within the school. We have set up a perimeter and have the area locked down. Nothing is getting in or out without us knowing. The last time we tried to deal with a Youma… it didn't go very well for our team."

"You boys sure know how to roll out the red carpet," Mitchell wisecracked before getting down to business. "Ok… you've got an unknown number of hostile aliens inside the building, with hostages. Have they made any demands?"

"None, Colonel."

"Great…"

"Maybe they don't want to deal with the Government."

All heads turned to the rookie on the team. Krystal shrugged, then said that it was more likely they might be setting a trap for the Scouts.

"They know that the Scouts are defenders. So by capturing a large number of people, it's easily a situation the Scouts _have_ to respond to immediately," she explained. "Makes sense."

"Well… they got us instead," Mitchell said as he went to the back of the SUV. He opened the hatch, revealing a pair of boxes. Inside was SG-1's gear. The only one wearing civilian clothes was Krystal, but she swapped her coat for a flak jacket real fast.

The standard Flak Jacket protected the wearer from most bullets and shrapnel. The SGC issue Flak Jacket was modified with special ceramic armor inserts that dissipated the energy from a weapon such as a Jaffa Staff. Although, like any armor, it would fail with repeated hits, it was better than nothing. Krystal slipped her scanner into one of the pockets before picking up her old friend.

"Saddle up," she said as she slammed a loaded magazine into the M-4 rifle. "Lock and load."

"Alright, keep your people outside," Mitchell said as he slapped a mag into his P-90. "We'll go in and deal with the hostiles. If we come across any civilians, we'll get them out if possible. If any Scouts show up, let us know. We'll be on Channel Two."

"Colonel, this is a matter of Japanese National Defense…"

"If those _are_ aliens in there, then it's our problem as much as it is yours."

Krystal was happy to have something to focus on. With rifle in hand, the redhead was back in her element. She still had her Transformation Pen on her, but she was hoping she wouldn't need it. Not with a fully loaded M-4 Assault Rifle anyways. If their weapons could bring down a Wraith in the Pegasus Galaxy, it could bring down a Youma here. Slipping the earpiece in, she prepared herself for a firefight. There were going to be a lot of civilians in the area, so she selected burst fire mode on her weapon. Packs more punch than semi-auto, but still more controlled than full auto. As soon as the team was ready, they made their way over to the front door. Mitchell motioned for her to open the door. With a nod to confirm he was ready, she pulled. The door didn't budge. Now feeling stupid, she readjusted, brought her rifle up with one hand, and pushed on the door.

The hallway was devoid of life as SG-1 entered the building. It felt weird going into a school with weapons ready. Krystal lowered her rifle and pulled out her scanner with her left hand. There was no indication of any lifesigns in their vicinity. They followed the hallway until it split.

"Teal'c with me. Jade, Jackson, go right. Stay in radio contact," Mitchell ordered. Although not military, Dr. Jackson nodded in response as he let Krystal take point. Still looking at her scanner, Krystal stopped halfway down the hall. She them slipped it back into one of her pockets and motioned towards a door. It was the girl's restroom, but Krystal said that she picked up something inside. Daniel covered the hallway as the redhead opened the door.

Being as quiet as possible, Krystal stepped inside. She thought she heard a gasp coming from one of the stalls, probably a student who freaked and hid in here. The young lieutenant started opening stalls until one actually refused to open. Locked from the inside. Even though she had a feeling that whoever was barricaded in there wouldn't understand, Krystal spoke up.

"Its alright, I'm not going to hurt you."

Yup. Someone was in there all right. Krystal heard the lock click off before the door opened slowly. A young Japanese girl, probably a Freshman, looked out at her in fear. Krystal lowered her rifle, and did her best to look friendly. The girl recoiled at the sight of her rifle, but then opened the door a bit more.

"Can you speak English?" Krystal asked. The girl looked confused for a moment.

"Little bit," she replied.

"What's your name?"

"Hitomi."

"Well Hitomi, I'm Krystal. I'm gonna get you out of here."

The girl seemed to perk up a bit as she came out of the stall. Krystal led her out, and was about to take her back towards the front entrance when the radio came to life.

"_SG-1, this is Agent Kinamoto. We spotted a Senshi entering the building at the Cafeteria."_

"This is Lt. Jade," Krystal responded. "Can you identify the Scout?"

"_We believe it is Sailor Pluto."_

Krystal bit her lip. She then turned to Dr. Jackson, and asked him to make sure the girl got to safety. Before he could respond she looked over at Hitomi.

"Which way is the Lunch Room?" she asked, trying to use words she might understand.

"Lunch room… Down hall to left," she replied, pointing down the hall. The redhead thanked her and charged off, leaving Dr. Jackson with a teenaged Japanese girl who was eager to get out of there.

* * *

Pluto managed to avoid the mass of Police and Government agents as she entered the school. Why they responded in such a way was beyond her. Normally they would not have such a presence. Pulling her Staff off her back, the Guardian of Time cautiously approached a door. Something about this situation was bothering her, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

Just as she was about to reach for the door, it started to open. Bracing herself, Pluto prepared to strike. She just didn't expect a now familiar redheaded lieutenant to come through. Just as surprised as she was, Krystal had snapped up her rifle, but relaxed as soon as she got a good look at the green haired Scout.

"What are you doing here?" Pluto asked.

"Probably the same thing you're doing here," Krystal replied.

"And how did you…"

"The News."

Pluto rolled her eyes, before asking why she hadn't transformed. Krystal replied that she didn't come alone. Sighing, Pluto said that Ami was still here, but probably unable to transform. Hearing that her new friend might be in danger made Krystal tighten her grip on her rifle. Before either of them could say anything else, Colonel Mitchell's voice came over the radio.

_"Jade, what's your status?"_

"Met up with one of the Scouts sir," Krystal replied. "Jackson's escorting a civilian out. Cafeteria's secure. My guess is that the students are being held in either an auditorium or the Gym. Only place big enough for most of the students. Well… if this place is anything like my old High School that is."

_"Teal'c and I found the auditorium. We got a small group of students and we're bringing them out. If you're with a Scout, head for the Gym and hold until we arrive."_

"Understood."

Krystal motioned for Pluto to take point. With a nod, both women went off in the direction of the Gym.

* * *

Ami managed to duck into the girl's locker room before the Youma secured the Gym. She managed to count at least four, all armed with some sort of weapon. She had planned on using her Transformation Pen, but another girl coming in nixed that. The young blunette did her best to keep her quiet while she tried to think of a plan. Odds are, Pluto would be on her way, but Ami had no way of contacting her now. With so many innocent people now trapped in the Gym… Ami felt powerless. Gritting her teeth, she crept closer to the door. Lucky for her, she was able to overhear two of the Youma talking.

"You sure this plan will work?"

"The Senshi will come. They don't have a choice."

"I just don't see why this has to continue."

"Once we capture the last two Senshi, it will be over. The Dark Kingdom will finally win."

"But…"

"Enough. I put up with your views on this conflict for a long time now. But if you say one more thing… I will kill you myself."

Ami blinked. There were Youma that didn't want to fight? That didn't make any sense. Shaking her head, Ami made her way over to the small office on the other side of the locker room. She had to find a way to contact someone without using her communicator.

"If I remember correctly… Coach Sato keeps a radio in her office," Ami said to herself as she tried opening the door. Locked. Biting her lip, Ami mentally went over what she had on her. She then remembered that the other girl had a pair of hairpins. Walking over to her, Ami asked to borrow the hairpins. After getting a WTF look and explaining the situation, Ami returned to the door with her makeshift lock picks.

Sticking her tongue out the corner of her mouth, Ami probed the lock, hoping she could open it without making too much noise… or break the hairpins and still be locked out. To her relief, the lock clicked. Opening the door quietly, Ami slipped inside the office and found the radio. Turning it on, Ami started scanning channels for activity. She was surprised when she got some in English. And she recognized one of the voices as Krystal.

_"Jade, you outside the Gym?"_

_ "Yes sir. Pluto and I are campin' out near the side entrance."_

_ "Understood. We're outside the main entrance. We'll breach, draw their attention, and pull back. Wait for my signal."_

_ "Copy."_

Ami's eyes went wide. They didn't know what they were facing. She clamped down on the transmit button.

"Wait! Don't go yet!"

* * *

Krystal blinked. That sounded like Ami. Pluto saw her reaction, and asked what was going on.

"Ami, is that you?" Krystal asked over the channel.

_"Yes…"_

"Channel's not secure Ami."

_"What do you mean? Its just us… and that Japanese Agent… who's probably recording everything as we speak." _Daniel said.

"Doesn't matter. Ami, where are you?"

_"I'm in the girl's locker room. I counted four Youma, all armed with some sort of rifle."_

"Civilians?"

_"At least half the school."_

_ "Damn," _Mitchell's voice came in. _"That's gonna complicate things."_

Pluto pried the earpiece out of Krystal's ear, and took her radio. The redhead squeaked in protest, as she was now uncomfortably close to the green haired Scout's head.

"This is Sailor Pluto. Can you get in contact with Sailor Mercury?"

Knowing that they were being monitored by Government agents, she had decided to speak in code and hope Ami caught on.

_"Would if I could,"_ Ami replied. _"Besides, I'm holed up with another girl and I can't leave her here alone."_

Pluto growled and returned the hijacked equipment, and said that Ami couldn't transform. Krystal muttered under her breath as she reattached the earpiece. She then asked Pluto if she knew the layout of the Gym.

"I never went here," she replied flatly. Krystal groaned before hitting her radio again.

"Ami, how close is the side entrance to the locker rooms?"

_"Actually… very close. But I think the locker room doors on that side are locked."_

"Can you open them from your end?"

"_Yes."_

_ "Alright. Sounds like you got something resembling a plan Lieutenant. Care to share?"_ Mitchell said.

"Pluto and I can get in through the Locker Room. While you guys distract the Youma, we evac the civilians through there."

_"Sounds good to me. Report in when you're in position."_

"Copy that. Ami, wait for us by the door."

* * *

Ami waited. She was hoping that other girl would be the first out so that she could join in on whatever Krystal and her team were planning. The blunette jumped when she heard someone knock on the door. Pushing it open, she was relieved to see that it was Krystal and Pluto. Seeing the redhead in combat gear and holding an assault rifle was different though. Getting the other girl's attention, Ami let her slip out the back.

"Well… now that that's taken care of… Why don't you gear up?" Krystal said as she made her way to the other door.

"What about you?" Ami asked.

"I wanna find out how well our weapons work on them first," the redhead replied.

Carefully opening the door a crack, Krystal was able to make out at least one Youma, and it was indeed holding some form of rifle. Closing the door again, Krystal moved away and reported that they were in position. It wasn't long after that shouts of alarm were heard, along with a couple bursts of P-90 fire. That was soon overpowered by the overwhelming sound of quite a few teenagers screaming. Looking back over her shoulder, Krystal could see that Ami had transformed, and was eager to get to work. With a predatory grin, Krystal slowly opened the door again, ready to start pulling a Houdini on these aliens. The grin died when she saw that there was still a Youma around. And not just nearby, it actually moved in front of the locker room. Closing the door again, she swore under her breath.

"What is it?" Pluto asked.

"Cam didn't get them all," Krystal replied. "There's still at least one in there."

It was then that she got an idea. Another predatory grin crossed her face as she turned back to the door and opened it. The Youma just stood there with its back to them, unaware that its back was now exposed. Unwilling to risk having any rounds go through the alien and into the crowd, Krystal just tapped on its shoulder. The Youma turned, confusion plastered on its face.

"Wuzzup?" Krystal asked before slamming the butt of her rifle into its face. Recoiling, the Youma stumbled backwards. Before it could recover, a volley of Ice Shards came flying out of the locker room and destroyed it.

The assault didn't go unnoticed. As soon as Mercury appeared in the doorway, many of the students actually cheered. They knew that they were about to be saved. Unfortunately… the Youma noticed as well. Two more were perched in the upper level of the bleachers. Krystal saw them take aim, and she instantly pulled Mercury back into the locker room as they fired. Several solid thuds hit the door and the wall.

"Those don't sound like energy weapons," Krystal said to herself. "Mercury… I'm going to lay down some cover fire. You and Pluto get out and either find an alternate exit for these people or swing around and take those bastards out."

Not waiting for a reply, Krystal opened the door again and took aim.

"GO!" she shouted as she opened fire on the upper level. Her M-4 unleashed a three round burst each time she pulled the trigger. The Youma took cover just as the Scouts emerged. They managed to get out of the field of fire as the Youma reappeared and opened fire. One of the rounds slammed into the floor next to Krystal's foot. Taking a second to examine the object, the young lieutenant was surprised to find some sort of dart. Returning her attention to the fight, she again opened fire. She was relieved to see the crowd start moving in one direction, which meant either Mercury or Pluto found an alternate exit. Apparently not caring that their captives were escaping, the two Youma snipers were content to continue to deal with their assailant. Krystal managed to peg one in the shoulder, spinning it around. Her victory was short lived however, as it soon picked up its weapon again and rejoined the fight. Emptying her magazine, Krystal ducked back behind cover.

Just as she was swapping out magazines, there was the sound of something bigger hitting the door. Before Krystal could react, the door exploded. Thrown back by the blast, Krystal slammed into some of the lockers.

"That's the last of them," Mercury said. Pluto nodded, then turned to see how Krystal was doing. Both of them watched in shock as what appeared to be some form of grenade impacted the door the redhead was using for cover and explode. Just then, the other members of Krystal's team came in. The snipers opened fire on them, forcing the trio to take cover. Another Youma appeared and was about to charge at the humans. Pluto actually hefted her Staff, and threw it like a javelin at the new arrival. With the Youma's attention now on her, Pluto charged.

Krystal groaned as she pulled herself out of the twisted metal that used to be a locker, thankful that her flak jacket took the brunt of it. Those aliens were a lot tougher than she thought. The only way she could think of to take out those snipers was to flank them, but if they were able to take hits from standard ammo like a Wraith that recently fed…

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her magic stick.

Mercury managed to evade the snipers by throwing up a mist to block their view of her. They seemed to forget about the blunette and focused their attention on the three humans still shooting at them. Climbing up the ladder to the upper level, Mercury knew she had to take some of the pressure off the humans. Just under the ledge, Mercury leapt up and unleashed a devastating barrage of ice shards. The sniper was caught totally off guard as the blunette defeated it without a problem. There was still one more up here, but by the time she could get into a position to attack, it would already be on to her. With Pluto engaged down below, the three military guys pinned down, and Krystal most likely out of commission…

Mercury swung around the corner, preparing to strike. The sniper turned and aimed right at her. At that range, there was no way the Youma was going to miss. What wasn't expected was for a gloved hand to reach out from behind it and snap the barrel up into the Youma's face. Shortly after that, the Youma was thrown from the upper level with a well-placed roundhouse kick delivered by a green boot.

"You ok?" Krystal asked.

"Yea," Mercury replied. "Thanks Earth."

Krystal bit her lip. It felt right being called that, but at the same time it didn't. Shaking her head, she looked out over the rail at the fight on the floor. Pluto was holding her own against a Youma while the one that she had kicked got shot by the rest of SG-1.

"I thought you got taken out by that bomb," Mercury said.

"Yea… so did I," Krystal replied. The redhead narrowed her eyes when Pluto's opponent sucker punched her and pulled something off its belt. Without saying anything, she vaulted over the rail.

Colonel Mitchell kept his P-90 up, even though he couldn't get a clear shot at the green haired Scout's opponent. Teal'c and Daniel were unable to get a shot off themselves. So far, there had been no sign of Krystal anywhere after that explosion. Hoping for the best, Cam gritted his teeth as he waited for an opening. At least the other Scout, Mercury, took out the aliens on the upper level, and gave SG-1 a shot at taking out one of them. Granted that shot took all three of them unloading half their mags into it. The alien sucker punched Pluto, and Mitchell tightened his grip on his weapon. If only she'd give him an opening…

Pluto cried out the alien stabbed her with something, only to get a boot to the face instantly. The green haired Scout pulled something out of her shoulder, and fell back as the newcomer unleashed hell on the enemy. Mitchell blinked in surprise. She looked like one of the Scouts, but her outfit was a different color. And as far as he knew… there were no redhead Scouts. The alien, caught off guard by the blitz attack, lashed out with a clawed hand, only for the green clad Scout to duck under the strike. She popped up, landing a blow to its face with a palm strike, followed up by a well-placed kick to the gut.

"Welcome to Earth," she said, just before delivering a devastating uppercut. "Now let me show you the sky!"

The alien was thrown up into the air, and was immediately buffeted by ice shards. By the time gravity restored its hold on the alien, it was dead. Sailor Mercury vaulted down from the upper level, and joined the Scout in green. Pluto was not too far behind, having recovered her staff. The redhead seemed to be interested in something, having pulled an object from the remains. She then handed it to Mercury, saying something about getting it checked out. Mitchell stood up and approached the Scouts.

"You guys alright?" he asked.

The redhead looked like she was about to reply when Mercury cut her off.

"We're fine. What about your team?"

"Other than Lt. Jade, we're all accounted for."

Krystal was biting her lip again. She really wanted to let her CO know she was fine, but Mercury and Pluto kept responding before her. She then remembered that as far as he knew, she was still in the locker room. She had handed one of the darts to Mercury to analyze, and held on to one herself to have checked out by the SGC. Something about this entire thing was bothering her. Although she wasn't able to stop the Youma from stabbing Pluto with it, she was able to pull it out almost immediately thanks to her blitz attack.

"I'll go make sure the area's secure," Krystal finally said, deciding it was a good idea to swing around and get back into the locker room before SG-1 went looking for her. Mercury, catching on to her plight, nodded. Dashing off past Teal'c, the redhead made her way outside, around the building, and back in through the side. Once back inside the locker room, she switched out of her Scout uniform. Apparently, the magic stick didn't fix up clothes like it apparently can injuries. Taking a moment to smear dust all over her face, she grabbed her rifle off the floor and pocketed the dart she had taken with her. If Cam asked, she managed to get an intact one from the barrage that was shot at her.

"Can't believe I'm doing this," Krystal said to herself. "Flat out lying to my own CO…"

Taking a deep breath, she stepped through the destroyed door, and made her way over to SG-1. Daniel was the first to notice.

"Krystal, you ok?" he asked, getting everyone's attention.

"Could be better," Krystal replied, faking a wince. "Now I know what its like to get shoved into a locker. Reminds me of my high school days."

Mitchell couldn't help but laugh. Apparently, her sense of humor was still intact. Teal'c just raised an eyebrow. Out of the corner of her eye, Krystal saw that Mercury and Pluto both noticed the golden sigil on the burly Jaffa's head, but didn't comment.

"Thank you for your help," Pluto said to SG-1.

"All in a day's work," Mitchell replied. "If you guys…"

"We can manage on our own," Pluto cut him off. Mercury was clearly not happy with that statement, as she was now biting her lip. Krystal was going to have to ask what she thought about outside help. Cam finally said something about letting the Government suits in to clean up the mess. The two Scouts made their way to the back exit while SG-1 moved to go out the front. Krystal looked back over her shoulder, and sighed. She really was stuck between two worlds. The question was… which one did she really belong in?

* * *

They made it a block before they decided they were clear. Ami held up the dart that Krystal had given her, noting that it appeared to contain some sort of liquid.

"I'll have to run some tests," she said. "But I think it's a safe bet that this is what they used when they ambushed us the first time."

"We still don't know anything about the unit Krystal's in," Setsuna replied. "Other than it apparently is a four man team with an archaeologist."

"Yea… that's kinda strange," Ami agreed.

"Anyways… go run your tests Ami. I'll meet up with you later."

With a nod, the blunette ran off in the direction of home. Setsuna was about to do the same when she stumbled for a moment. Assuming it was just exhaustion from the fight, the green haired woman thought nothing of it.

* * *

Author's Note: The plot thickens! To explain the reasoning behind Pluto using her staff like a javelin at one point. I'm not really familiar with how her offensive powers work, so I treated it like a Pulsewave rifle on Star Trek Online. Kinda like a wave of energy capable of actually passing _through_ targets. If she used her powers, she ran the risk of hitting SG-1 as well. Also... needed her in close combat range to set up for the next chapter. What is in the darts? We shall see.

Also... you may have noticed that even after Krystal transformed, I didn't refer to her _as_ Earth. This is intentional to show that she hasn't accepted it yet. In her mind, she's still Krystal Jade, Air Force Lieutenant, even in a Scout uniform. Also... Krystal will refer to her Transformation Pen as the Magic Stick. Mostly because its less of a mouthful.

Next time on _Stargate SG-1_: Everything falls apart for our resident redhead.


	6. Infected

Author's Note: VOILA! Chapter 6 for you! Just a heads up, some language ahead.

* * *

Chapter 6

Infected

_"I've spoken with the President and the Joint Chiefs. They agree that Full Disclosure may be enough to convince the Scouts to trust you."_

Colonel Mitchell sighed. At least it was an option now. The problem was actually getting a chance to tell them.

"Thank you General. After our brief conversation, I was wondering if we'd be able to trust each other," he replied. Despite the time zone difference, Mitchell had called the SGC to report on recent events. Krystal had once again gotten into that funk. According to her, she was thrown into a locker. But physically, she appeared fine.

_"How's Lt. Jade holding up?"_ General Landry asked.

"Could be better sir," Mitchell replied. "Probably just stress."

_"I can understand that. Not exactly a routine mission after all."_

"We'll get the job done sir."

Krystal was again out on the balcony. Her Transformation Pen was in hand, and she was tapping it against the rail. The dart was sent up to the _Odyssey_ for analysis, so there was really nothing for them to do now. Looking up into the sky, Krystal wished she was back in Colorado, or even Washington for that matter.

"Dang it. Can't really see the stars with all these lights," she sighed as she looked back over the city. From what she had heard of the Youma, they didn't normally use weapons. The recent attack was atypical. Something changed. That much was certain. The question was… what? She pocketed her stick when she heard someone come out onto the balcony.

"Is everything alright Lieutenant Jade?"

Krystal couldn't help but smile as she turned to face Teal'c.

"I'll survive," she replied. "I just have a lot on my mind."

"If something is troubling you, perhaps it would be best to discuss it."

She sighed and leaned on the rail. Krystal wanted to tell them, but that was the problem. Ami had trusted her with a secret almost as big as the Stargate itself. She didn't want to betray that trust. But at the same time, she had an obligation to inform her CO about useful Intel. She was basically in the perfect Catch 22. Finally, she turned to face Teal'c again.

"Hey Teal'c, what would you do if you found yourself caught between two… I don't know… lets say worlds, both somewhat conflicted with each other yet both felt right."

Teal'c thought for a moment before responding.

"If faced with such a situation, I believe the best decision would be to step back and consider where these… worlds… conflict. We all face difficult decisions Lieutenant Jade. One of which is the reason I am here."

"Turn against Apophis and start fighting for freedom," Krystal said, remembering what Daniel said about that mission years ago.

"Indeed," Teal'c confirmed. He turned to head inside. Krystal thanked him, and he paused for a moment to acknowledge what she said before stepping through the door. Once again left alone, Krystal looked out over the city again.

"If only it was that easy…"

* * *

Setsuna growled as she flipped through the channels. There was nothing worth watching, and she was just in a bad mood in general. She had also been thinking of the recent Youma attack. Rubbing her shoulder, Setsuna decided to get something to eat. She stood up, took a step, and her leg gave out underneath her. She tried to push herself up, but she suddenly felt so weak.

"What…" she trailed off as she brought a hand up to where the Youma had stabbed her. Something was seriously wrong. Managing to get back to her feet, she used the wall for support as she made her way over to the phone. The only thing that made sense was that it was connected with whatever Ami was investigating now. Picking up the phone, Setsuna dialed the blunette's number.

With help from both Artemis and Luna, Ami managed to analyze the sample taken from the Youma dart. The results weren't making any sense. Instead of some sort of tranquilizer like she was expecting, the computer was saying it was an unknown virus. Even the lunar cats were baffled by the results. One thing did stand out to Ami though; it didn't seem to be a natural virus.

"What is it?" she asked out loud as she racked her brain on what she remembered of viruses. Sometimes having a parent who was a medical doctor helped, but right now she was drawing a blank. Ami was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of her phone ringing.

"Hello?" she answered.

_"Ami…"_ Setsuna's voice came from the other side. The blunette bit her lip. Something was wrong.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

_"I don't know. I think… just get over here as soon as you can."_

Ami didn't even bother to say anything. She hung up the phone, grabbed a backpack, filled it with some supplies, and went out the door. The way Setsuna was sounding over the phone made her worry. The normally strong, no nonsense woman sounded like she was struggling with something.

After what seemed like an eternity, Ami arrived at Setsuna's house. Knocking on the door, she again bit her lip in worry. When no one came to answer, Ami got even more worried. Deciding that she had to get inside, Ami checked where Setsuna usually hid the spare key and used it to unlock the door. Once inside, Ami made her way towards the living room. She found Setsuna collapsed near the phone and trying to push herself back up. Dropping her backpack, Ami ran over to help.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," the green haired woman replied. "I think whatever the Youma were using…"

"How?" Ami asked, piecing together what Setsuna was trying to say.

"Shoulder," Setsuna replied. "Sucker punched me then got me in the shoulder before Earth jumped it."

Ami was starting to panic. If Setsuna was infected by the Youma with some sort of virus… Shaking her head, the young blunette managed to drag Setsuna over to the couch before going back for her bag. Not knowing where the green haired woman keeps anything, Ami packed as many medical supplies she might need. Although she figured she had already been exposed, Ami still pulled out a mask and stuck a thermometer in Setsuna's mouth. If she had to, she was going to stay all night. Setsuna just laid there wishing she could destroy the object in her mouth.

* * *

Morning came to Tokyo, and SG-1 was up to greet it. Well… most of SG-1 that is. Krystal pulled the covers over her head, wishing just for once she could sleep in. While Mitchell considered his options, Xena jumped up onto the bed and started pawing at her back.

"Go 'way…" the redhead muttered, voice muffled by her pillow.

"Lieutenant…" Mitchell started to say, only to get one of the pillows thrown at him.

"With respect sir…" Krystal replied. "Get out and let me sleep."

Xena got an evil look on her feline face before walking up to the head of the bed and crawling under the covers. One shriek later, Krystal was out of bed pulling a shirt on. Xena had a smug look on her face as she walked away and sat next to Cam.

"Cold nose in the middle of the back routine," the orange Lunar tabby said. "Works _every_ time. Had to do it to Kayla a few times too."

Krystal just glared daggers at the talking cat as she made her way passed her CO and out to get some breakfast. Mitchell just casually walked after her. At least she wasn't topless when she jumped. Daniel asked what happened, and just got growled at by the redhead. Teal'c didn't comment on the matter. Cam just pulled up a chair and poured himself some cereal. Daniel asked him what happened and he just hiked a thumb at the cat.

"Well… now that we're all alive," Mitchell said, causing Krystal to just stick her tongue out at him. He just ignored her, knowing that she was still half asleep. "We need to find a way to get in contact with the Scouts again. Last night I spoke with General Landry. We now have clearance to tell them about the Stargate program. Maybe knowing that we've got experience dealing with extraterrestrial threats will help them to open up."

"Dunno Cam," Krystal replied, pouring herself some Orange Juice. "Pluto seems to be rather stubborn."

"What about…" Daniel started to ask.

"Non disclosure agreements will be provided after this situation is resolved," Mitchell answered.

Krystal took a drink, then set her glass down. She now had an opening, but the problem was… how to approach them. Pluto, Krystal still didn't know who she was, seemed resistant to the idea of anyone who wasn't a Scout helping them. Ami, on the other hand, might be more open to it. But how was she going to explain about the Stargate?

_By the way Ami, I'm not just in the Air Force, I actually travel to other planets through this big, alien built ring that flushes sideways to create an artificial wormhole._ She thought sarcastically. _Yea… that will go over real well. Like a Lead Balloon._

"Any word on the analysis yet?" she finally asked.

"Not yet, but thanks to the Asgard Core, Sam thinks we'll have results later today," Mitchell replied.

Krystal was about to take another drink when her cell phone went off. Daniel made a comment about the redhead being a Gamer, making her roll her eyes. Answering the phone, Krystal was surprised to hear Ami on the other end. She sounded worried. Quickly getting out on the balcony and closing the door, Krystal asked what was going on.

_"All I know is that Setsuna's been infected with some sort of virus…"_

"Who?"

_"Sorry… I forgot Pluto never revealed herself to you. Anyways… I'm over at Setsuna's place, and I have no idea what's going on. I'd appreciate it if you'd come over here. Setsuna's not exactly a good conversationalist right now."_

Coming back inside, Krystal grabbed a pen and paper. Writing down the address, Krystal said that she'd be there as soon as she could. Thoughts of revealing the existence of the Stargate completely forgotten about in light of the current situation. After hanging up, Krystal grabbed her jacket and a radio before heading out the door.

"Ok… anyone else notice anything odd about that?" Mitchell asked.

* * *

Ami bit her lip as she waited for Krystal. So far, she hadn't developed any symptoms herself, but Setsuna was getting worse. After getting off the phone with her new friend, she realized what she asked and kicked herself. She had pretty much asked Krystal to expose herself to an unknown contagion. While she waited, Ami though back to that ambush almost two weeks ago now. The Scouts had arrived in the park, and were ambushed by several Youma… armed with rifles like the ones she saw yesterday. Mars was the first to get hit, but didn't seem to react much while the battle raged. One by one, the others were hit. It was then that Ami realized what happened. The Youma didn't try to go for a kill shot after the others were hit. They were actually trying to prolong the fight. Mars started stumbling a bit after about five minutes of getting pegged.

"If they were using the same virus… keeping us fighting would actually help the virus spread through our systems…" Ami mused. "But the question is… why? Why take them after they're infected?"

A knock on the door pulled the blunette out of her thoughts. Ami headed over to the door. Krystal was waiting on the other side, and Ami let her in.

"Sorry, got lost," Krystal said.

"I should apologize," Ami said abruptly. "By asking you to come here, I may have just exposed you to whatever Setsuna's got."

Krystal just put a hand on the blunette's shoulder, saying that if she had to, she would take a bullet for a friend. Krystal found her way into the living room, and saw Setsuna.

"You?" she asked.

"Did I miss something?" Ami asked as she came in behind the redhead.

"Ran into her while the team was staking out the High School. Or… she ran into us."

Krystal eventually sat down in a chair. The green haired woman looked like hell, and actually struggled to sit up a bit. Setsuna finally settled for nodding a greeting to the redhead. Ami came around and sat in another chair. She started explaining her current theory about the ambush. Finally able to learn what happened, a few pieces started falling into place in Krystal's mind. The Youma apparently made something like an uber tranquilizer out of a virus because the Scouts were not ordinary humans. You don't go hunting elephants with a pistol. Tailor your weapon to suit your target. Krystal voiced her thoughts about it, and Ami reluctantly agreed with her. After a few minutes of silence, Krystal finally decided to ask something that had been on her mind.

"Hey Ami… I was just wondering about how you'd feel about getting outside help?"

"What do you mean?" Ami replied.

"We got our backs against a wall here," Krystal stated. "But my team's willing to help if you guys would just give them a chance."

"Well… I'd welcome any help we can get," Ami replied, glancing over at Setsuna. "Depending on how much help they could provide of course. We're not exactly used to others helping us."

* * *

A few hours after Krystal had left the Hotel, the rest of SG-1 were beamed aboard the _Odyssey_. Sam had contacted them about the results of the analysis, and the tone of her voice was all Mitchell needed to hear to suggest a face-to-face meeting. They were currently in the Mess Hall, with Carter looking out the viewports at Earth.

"We ran the results through twice, just to make sure," the blond colonel said. "They came back positive both times. That dart contained the Prior Plague."

Mitchell swore. The last time they had to deal with the Plague was during the Ori Crusade. A lot of people on other worlds died, and they damn near had a pandemic when it came to Earth and got passed the SGC's quarantine. It took a descended Ancient and a Jaffa-turned-Prior to find a cure. With help from the CDC, they distributed the cure under the ruse that it was to counter a super Flu. But to have another species actually weaponizing the stuff…

"Have there been any reports of the Plague outside of Tokyo?" Daniel asked.

"None," Carter replied. "There haven't even been any cases reported _in_ the city either. The thing is, this sample of the Plague shows evidence of being modified. Its non lethal and not contagious. The only way to get infected is on purpose."

"That doesn't make any sense," Mitchell said. "Why weaponize the Plague if you're going to nerf it?"

"I think these aliens weaponized it for use against the Scouts," Carter suggested. "Its possible that they don't want anyone outside their intended targets to be infected at all."

"Perhaps their intention was to weaken the Scouts for capture," Teal'c suggested.

"Would explain why we were called in," Mitchell replied. "We'd better contact Jade and let her know."

With that, the veteran members of SG-1 made their way to the bridge. Carter stood over by the command chair while Mitchell approached the communications station. He wasn't going to bother with Krystal's cell phone, as he remembered she grabbed one of the radios.

* * *

Krystal leaned against the wall. Setsuna was starting to drift in and out of consciousness. Whatever had hit her, it hit her hard. Ami continued to try everything she could to help, but nothing seemed to work.

_"Jade? Mitchell. Please respond."_

Both Krystal and Ami jumped when the redhead's radio went off. Pulling the offending object off her belt, Krystal did indeed respond.

"Any reason you decided not to call my cell sir?"

_"Radio's faster," _Mitchell replied. _"We've got a situation."_

Krystal blinked. Under normal circumstances, that would have been her cue to leave the area to continue the conversation without anyone listening in. But she decided to stay where she was. Ami was about to ask something when the redhead held up a finger.

"What's going on?"

_"The test results came in on that sample you gave us. It's the Prior Plague."_

Krystal's mind raced. She had heard about the Plague. A flash of events from yesterday went through her mind. Just before her boot slammed into the Youma's head, the alien had stabbed Pluto in the shoulder with one of the darts. Although the green haired woman was able to pull it out almost instantly, it was enough to expose her to the Plague. And now… she and Ami were exposed, along with who knows how many people.

"Shit!" Krystal swore as she rushed over to Setsuna's side. Ami was completely confused. Before the blunette could ask what was going on, Krystal pulled her closer and kneeled next to Setsuna.

"Cam, where are you now?" Krystal asked.

_"Aboard _Odyssey…_"_

"Medical Emergency! Three to beam up, full quarantine procedures!"

_"Lieutenant…"_

"NO TIME! JUST DO IT!" Krystal practically yelled into the radio.

Ami blinked in confusion. What was Krystal doing? What came next was a complete shock to the blunette. The closest thing she could compare it to was when the Scouts did their group teleport, but at the same time it was different. One minute she was in Setsuna's living room, the next, she was somewhere else entirely. Looking around, Ami saw that they were in what looked like some sort of command center. Everyone she saw that was present appeared military. One in particular, a blond woman, stood near a centrally placed chair before heading to a wall-mounted phone.

"Medical team to the bridge!" she ordered. It was then that Krystal seemed to lose it.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" she yelled. "We've been exposed to the Plague, and you beam us up to the Bridge?! Now the whole ship's compromised!"

"Lieutenant… relax," One of the military people said. Ami recognized him as the leader of the team from yesterday.

"Relax? I find out we got the damn Prior Plague and you tell me to relax?" Krystal was in full panic mode. A pair of medics arrived, and the blond woman directed them towards Setsuna. The medics set up a stretcher, and pulled the semi-conscious woman onto it. As the medics carted Setsuna off, Ami just sat there wondering what the hell was going on.

"LIEUTNEANT!" The team leader shouted, finally snapping Krystal back to her senses. The redhead straightened up a bit, but was still worried about everyone. The team leader finally continued. "We discovered this particular strain isn't contagious. You and your friend are perfectly fine. Although now we have the problem of a civilian being aboard the _Odyssey_."

Ami blinked again. She still didn't know where she was. Finally getting to her feet, she turned around, and gasped. The blunette was confronted with a stunning view of Earth from orbit. She was aboard a space ship. Turning around, Ami looked over at Krystal. Something in the redhead's stance changed.

"She's not a civilian," Krystal replied. She looked over at Ami, and the blunette could clearly tell that she was regretting something, or was about to regret something.

"You wanted a chance to talk to the Scouts Colonel," she continued, turning back to the team leader. "Well… you got us. She's Sailor Mercury. And the woman being taken down to the Infirmary is Pluto. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be in the Mess Hall. Trying to figure out what I'm going to be doing for the rest of my life."

And with that, Krystal almost ran out of the room. Ami saw a pained expression on her face as she went by. Revealing who the Scouts were to her superior hurt. And Ami had a feeling that Krystal was now also feeling like she just betrayed her and Setsuna. Now feeling awkward, Ami stood a little straighter now that everyone's focus turned from the departed lieutenant to her. Remembering the card that Krystal had given her, she assumed that the team leader was Colonel Mitchell.

"Not exactly how I pictured this meeting going," he said before focusing on her. "Colonel Cameron Mitchell. We need to talk."

* * *

Krystal just sat there looking out at the Earth, a bottle of soda hanging loosely in her hand. She was wishing she actually drank beer, and that they had some on board. She had just revealed that she withheld mission critical information from her CO, and betrayed the trust Ami had given her. The redhead was now wishing she could go hide in some distant corner, far away from everyone. She even considered Antarctica, but then remembered the research base set up there to study the Ancient Outpost.

_Damn… maybe I should try the Arctic instead. I hear it's nice and cold this time of year._ She thought. Krystal actually considered resigning, if only to spare everyone from a court martial. She'd even give her magic stick back to Ami. The problem was, she couldn't tell anyone what she really did while she was in the Air Force. At best, they'd think she studied Deep Space Radar Telemetry. A very boring, dull, and not very important job. After traveling through the Stargate, no job she'd apply to could compare. She then remembered what Teal'c told her earlier, about looking at where the two worlds conflicted.

"Well… I found where they conflict," she said. "And I ran head first into that wall without even checking if there was a damn pitfall on the other side."

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there before someone showed up. To her surprise, it was Ami. Krystal set her bottle down on the table, dug into her pocket to pull out her Transformation Pen, and slid it across the table towards the Blunette.

"Don't think I'll be needing that anymore," she said. "Not after today."

Ami managed to grab it before it fell off the table. She looked at the Pen in her hand, before looking back up at Krystal.

"Why do you say that?" Ami asked. Krystal slammed her bottle down. It was obvious she was still in pain over what happened.

"I screwed up Ami," she replied. "I not only didn't tell Colonel Mitchell that I knew you guys, I just told them who you are and betrayed your trust. I'll be lucky if I can even get home without some sort of disciplinary action. And even then… I most likely just lost a friend."

Ami briefly looked over her shoulder, seeing Colonel Mitchell and Colonel Carter in the doorway. After telling her everything, they had come with her down to the Mess Hall. The pair were being respectful in staying out of the way. It was probably a good thing Krystal hadn't noticed them hovering near the door, otherwise she'd probably shut down even more. Shaking her head, Ami placed the Pen on the table and rolled it back over to the depressed redhead. Krsytal stopped it, but didn't pick it up.

"You did what you thought was best at the time," Ami said.

"I wasn't thinking straight," Krystal replied. "Finding out about the Prior Plague… I just snapped."

The young blunette pulled up a chair. She then explained that Colonel Mitchell told her about the Stargate program, and how the SGC had been dealing with threats to the Earth longer than the Scouts had been fighting Queen Beryl. Krystal just seemed to shrink down into her chair. Ami sighed, then decided to change tactics.

"You might have snapped, but you knew these people could help. You did the right thing,"

"I'm not so sure about that…" Krystal trailed off.

"You don't know which way to turn do you?"

"You could say that."

That was it. Ami was piecing together what was going on with Krystal. She had been confident when they first met. Then she gets blindsided by finding out she was Sailor Earth, which shook her. And now this. Her confidence was shot. And on top of that, she had been dealing with trying to figure out where she belonged since finding out. Ami had a feeling when Krystal first transformed, and it was reinforced yesterday when she stood in front of SG-1 in a Scout uniform instead of an Air Force one. Looking at the redhead now, it was easy to tell she was conflicted, and it was hitting her hard. It was then that Colonel Mitchell decided to join the conversation.

"Got room for one more at this table?" he asked. Krystal just waved a hand at one of the chairs. Mitchell then told her that Ami had explained everything about the last few days. Krystal's head shot up, and she looked at both of them. Ami explained that she felt it was the right thing to do considering that it had an impact on SG-1.

"I understand that you felt obligated to keep their secret Lieutenant," Mitchell said. "Just like you felt obligated to not tell them about the Stargate."

"Yea… and look where it got us. Pluto's infected with the Plague, and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna have to leave the SGC or something," Krystal replied.

"Not if I have anything to say about it. You've already proven yourself to be resourceful. And on top of that, you engaged an enemy combatant with nothing more than your Combat Knife to save civilians, even though you were outclassed. Not to mention that plan you cooked up yesterday."

Krystal finally picked up her Transformation Pen, and looked at it, Colonel Mitchell's words going through her mind. The green and blue of her stick reminded her of the view of Earth currently on the other side of the viewport, full of life and defiance in the face of overwhelming odds. She actually traced the symbol of Earth with a finger, knowing that that particular symbol represented a thorn in the side of the Goa'uld, the Replicators, the Ori, and others who had posed a threat. Her gaze shifted from the stick to Ami and Mitchell. Seeing them sitting together at the same table somehow made her feel a little better. But at the same time, the sight visually represented the conflict going on within her. On the one side, Stargate Command and the fight to protect Earth. On the other, the Sailor Scouts and their fight against the Dark Kingdom. And Krystal was in the middle, being pulled in both directions. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. There were things that still needed to be done. Pocketing the magic stick, Krystal opened her eyes.

"How's Pluto?" she asked.

"Last I heard, she fell into a coma shortly after arriving in the Infirmary," Mitchell replied. "After comparing notes with Ami here, we figured that the aliens turned the Plague into a super trank."

"And with it being a virus, it won't wear off over time," Ami added. "It's the easiest way to control prisoners. As long as that virus is in their systems, the Scouts are helpless. Especially since it's a virus our bodies won't be able to fight against."

"The cure?"

"No effect," Mitchell replied. "But that could be because this is a modified strain. It'll take some work, but Dr. Lam will be brought up from the SGC to work on modifying the cure for this particular strain."

Krystal sighed. She needed something to focus on. Luckily, Mitchell provided that.

"So… Lieutenant… you gonna sit here and sulk all day or are we going to get back to work?" he asked.

The redheaded woman locked eyes with her CO.

"Where do you need me sir?"

* * *

Author's Note: And so... We discover what happened to the Scouts.

Who else besides me is thinking Ami and Sam would be a deadly combination?

Next time on _Stargate SG-1_: Teamwork, Zats, and... wait... what's a Zat?


	7. Function by Distraction

Author's Note: For your enjoyment... I present to you... the next chapter. How will Ami deal with working with our favorite SG Team? Let us find out.

And once again, I welcome constructive critism. You guys see something that feels a bit off, let me know. I will take note of it so that my skills as a writer will improve. And who knows... perhaps a sequel to this story, or any other future project, may incorporate said improvements. Now... I shut up and allow you guys to read.

* * *

Chapter 7

Function by Distraction

With Setsuna down, only Ami and Krystal were left as active Scouts. Currently, the pair were seated around a table with the rest of SG-1 and Colonel Carter aboard the _Odyssey_, trying to figure out their next move. So far… everything has come back to the same problem, where the attacks are coming from. They have established that the Youma were not coming by ship, as the _Odyssey_ hadn't detected anything in orbit that didn't belong there, and the Youma were definitely not using the Stargate. Ami told them what she knew of the portals that the enemy used, and that the Youma were from another dimension. Carter thought for a moment before speaking up.

"The power requirements to make a portal like that without any sort of generator on the other side must be enormous. And on top of that, crossing realities like that would make regular attacks impractical," she said.

"That's what I know about them," Ami replied. "We never really went after them, they always came after us."

"So you've been fighting a defensive war against them," Krystal summarized. Ami nodded in confirmation. For a moment, there was silence in the mess hall. Krystal's mind drifted back to one of those dreams she had. More of a nightmare really, as it always ended with a sharp pain in her back which wakes her up. But what was sticking out right now was that it took place aboard what appeared to be a ship. She then got an idea.

"Colonel," Krystal said, getting Carter's attention. "Would making one of these portals be more practical if it was just from one planet to another?"

"Well… yes," Carter replied. "But again, the power requirements would increase the farther out from the target…"

"Wait… are you suggesting these aliens have a base in our reality?" Mitchell cut in.

"Makes sense," Krystal replied. "And based on what Colonel Carter was saying… relatively close to Earth."

"That still leaves quite a few planets in the Stargate network," Daniel said. "Then we have to take into account the planets that don't have a Stargate…"

"Basically… we still don't know where they're coming from," Ami finished. "And short of actually going through one of their portals, we have no way to get there right now."

"Perhaps we should consider capturing one of these Youma for questioning," Teal'c suggested. Everyone looked at the Jaffa, with thoughts going through their heads ranging from _That's actually a good idea_ to _Why didn't I think of that_. Ami said that the Youma may try everything in their power to avoid capture, even suicide. After Krystal said that normal tranquilizer darts might just piss them off, Mitchell suggested something that confused the hell out of Ami.

"What is a Zat?"

"Zat'nik'tel," Teal'c explained. "A Goa'uld weapon capable of rendering a victim unconscious with a single discharge."

"Zat for short," Daniel added.

"Basically… it's a Taser on steroids," Krystal submitted. "Two hits in a row generally kills."

Ami thought about what they said for a couple minutes. She knew that the Youma didn't use the Stargate, as the SGC would be where they came through instead of anywhere in Tokyo. Capturing a Youma sounded like a good idea, but there was still the problem of where they were coming from. There was no guarantee that they would say anything. After voicing her concern, Mitchell actually said that even if they only get a name of the planet, they had ways of finding out a location by contacting their allies. At least they had something resembling a plan now. The problem now was that it relied on the Youma making a move. By the time Artemis alerts her to their presence…

"Hey Ami… Just how do you guys find out about the portals?" Krystal asked.

"Artemis has access to an advanced computer that detects Youma portals. He alerts us to the portal's location, and we track down the Youma that came through," Ami explained.

"Could we network that thing with the _Odyssey's_ computer?"

The blunette thought for a moment, before nodding. Having the computer connected with the _Odyssey_ could work, giving them some extra detection capability. And with the Transporter, they didn't actually have to run there.

"Colonel Carter, I'll need your help," Ami finally said as she got up. "I'll contact Artemis. Maybe together, we can figure out some sort of connection."

"Sounds good to me," Carter replied as she stood up and joined the young woman. "And call me Sam."

As the two technically inclined women left the mess hall, SG-1 took that as their cue to get ready. Mitchell stopped Krystal, figuring that they should talk.

"Sir," she said as she sat down again.

"Lieutenant, you sure you can handle all this?" Mitchell asked.

"Honestly? I don't know sir. But as long as I have something to focus on, I should be alright."

Cam sighed. He had a feeling that the only thing keeping the young redhead together was the fact that she wasn't thinking about what had just happened. Fifteen minutes ago, Krystal was ready to resign because she thought she screwed up. She really needed a confidence boost right now. He just couldn't think of where that boost was going to come from.

"You sure this isn't going to bite you in the ass later?" he asked.

"Don't know sir. But we still have a job to do," Krystal replied. "And if I'm gonna be of any help, I can't keep thinking about what happened."

After Colonel Mitchell dismissed her, Krystal walked out into the corridor, and just leaned against one of the bulkheads. Although she had tried to sound convincing to her CO, she knew that recent events rattled her, and she had a feeling that Cam knew that as well. And unless something happened, she wouldn't be able to help thinking about how she screwed up. Despite being reassured that she did the right thing, it still felt like she messed up big time. Shaking her head, Krystal pulled out her iPod. It wasn't long before she had a Keith Urban song playing in her ears as she walked down the corridor. Besides, until they had a lead on the enemy base, there wasn't really much to do anyways.

* * *

Ami took a deep breath to calm herself down. They were routing Ami's communicator signal through the _Odyssey_ so that they didn't have to constantly talk into the blunette's wrist. Artemis was still in shock over the fact that her identity was now known to the US Military, as well as the fact that the Americans had interstellar capable warships. Colonel Carter just stood next to the blunette, patiently waiting for the feline to stop babbling. Although the idea of a talking cat seemed farfetched, even after Cam had explained about their new feline companion Xena. Finally, Ami had had enough.

"Artemis… shut up and listen!" she snapped. On the other end of the channel, the white lunar cat blinked in surprise. Now that Ami had his attention, she explained what she wanted to try and do.

_"I'm not sure how we can set up a connection with a foreign computer system…"_ Artemis finally said.

"We've used it to hack into various networks before," Ami countered, ignoring the look Carter was giving her when she mentioned hacking. "It shouldn't be too difficult to establish a connection with the _Odyssey_. And I have someone here who is familiar with her systems to help."

_"Its not like we can do a direct IP connection…"_ Artemis started to say.

"At least not from your end," Carter cut in. "But maybe we can establish a connection from ours."

After a minute to get situated, Artemis said that he'd try. Carter gestured towards one of the consoles, causing Ami to blink in confusion.

"You're more familiar with your computer than I am," she explained. "I can help with ours."

Nodding her head, Ami sat down in front of the console. It wasn't long after that that Carter was helping her bounce a signal off a satellite through the Internet and into the Scout Computer, as Carter started calling it. Artemis squeaked when the computer alerted him to something trying to get a connection from the outside, but Ami reassured him that it was the _Odyssey_. A couple more minutes, and they were connected and online. Artemis was amazed at the sudden increase in detection capability.

_"This is amazing! Range alone easily jumped to cover all of Japan at least!"_ he exclaimed from his end of the channel.

"Make that half of Asia. And parts of Australia and New Zealand," Ami corrected as she looked over the data that was coming through. "Feel free to take the rest of the day off."

_"In that case… I am so gonna curl up in the closest pile of clean, fluffy clothes,"_ Artemis wisecracked.

"Just don't shed all over the place," Ami replied before closing the channel. She then looked up at Carter, who had an amused look on her face. At least now they had a way to detect and identify these portals.

"Now all we have to do is wait," Carter said.

* * *

As it turned out, they didn't have to wait long. About two hours after connecting with the Scout Computer, they got a hit. Downtown Tokyo. SG-1 was already geared up and ready to go by the time Ami came up to the Bridge. Krystal nodded to the blunette before patting the Tranquilizer gun she was packing. The rest of SG-1 also had the Trank guns, but the thing that caught Ami's attention was what appeared to be a coiled metal snake strapped to their legs as though it was a gun in a holster. Guessing that those were the Zats that were mentioned earlier, she didn't question it. Krystal suggested that she transform before they beamed down. Although hesitant at first, Ami relented after being told that it would be faster than waiting to do it planetside.

"Ok… We're gonna beam down into an alley near where the portal was detected," Mitchell explained as soon as Mercury took her place next to Krystal. "There's a café nearby, which might be the target. Jade will use her Life Signs Detector to confirm."

"I still call it a Scanner," Krystal replied. Mitchell continued, looking at Mercury.

"Plan A is we use Tranks. If that doesn't work, you and Jade will lure the aliens down into our alley, were we'll be waiting in ambush with the Zats. As soon as we knock them down, we'll beam them up to _Odyssey_."

"Maybe we should just start with Plan B," Daniel said, remembering all the times Plan A never worked.

"Good luck guys!" Carter said before nodding at one of the crewmembers. With a flash of white light, SG-1 was gone.

Trying to look as casual as possible, Krystal pulled out her Scanner as soon as she and Mercury reached the end of the alley. Rush Hour was in full swing, so the streets of Tokyo were packed. Pedestrians didn't even give the pair a second glance, although Mercury did attract a little more attention than the redhead with the combat gear.

"Must think I'm going to a convention or something," Krystal wisecracked as she looked at the screen. They were in luck. Two non-human life signs inside the café. And judging by the grouping of human life signs, the Youma scared the crap out of them and were holding them hostage. Slipping her Scanner back into its pocket, Krystal turned to Mercury.

"Wait for my signal."

"And that would be…" Mercury started to ask.

"Most likely me getting my ass kicked," Krystal replied. "Remember, we need to get them into the alley."

"Shouldn't be a problem. But are you sure you want to go first?"

"Gotta at least try Plan A."

With that, Krystal moved out onto the sidewalk and towards the door. Mercury rolled her eyes, wishing they'd just do what Dr. Jackson suggested and go with Plan B.

Quietly opening the door, Krystal raised the Trank gun. Once again, she was faced with the back of a Youma. Its companion was a few feet away, also facing away from her. This time she fired on the unsuspecting Youma, pegging both with three darts each. The aliens turned around, a look of annoyed confusion on their faces which was soon replaced with rage as soon as they saw the redhead.

"Oh shi…" was all Krystal had time to say.

Mercury stretched as she leaned against the wall. She felt kinda weird just standing here like this. At least three people wanted her autograph, and one wanted his picture taken with her. She managed to chase them off by saying she was out on senshi business and didn't have time. Which was true.

The sound of breaking glass, followed soon after by something slamming into a parked car snapped Mercury's attention back to the present. It wasn't hard to find out what went ballistic, as Krystal was picking herself up off the ground next to a now damaged Toyota Tundra. Two Youma soon emerged from the café, one cracking her knuckles at the prospect of beating the tar out of someone. Grabbing a nearby trash can lid, Mercury threw it like a Frisbee nailing the closest Youma in the head. The attack didn't go unnoticed, as both turned to face her.

"Senshi…" the second one growled as it pulled out a now familiar dart. With a devious grin, Mercury took off down the alley. For a moment, both Youma had confused looks on their faces before they chased after her.

As she reached the end of the alley, Mercury turned around as though she was going to fight. The Youma both had predatory grins as they closed in on her. Suddenly… a strange sound was heard, and one of the Youma started convulsing as blue electric energy arced across its body before it collapsed. The second Youma turned around, and saw Colonel Mitchell aiming a strange weapon at it. Mercury watched in amazement as this weapon that now resembled a snake in striking position unleashed a beam of electric blue energy that soon rendered the Youma unconscious. The Zat retracted to its standby position soon after, returning to its coiled snake look.

"Tag 'em and Bag 'em," Mitchell said with a triumphant smirk. Teal'c and Dr. Jackson appeared, holstering their Zats.

"Where is Lieutenant Jade?" Teal'c asked.

"Wanting to take the rest of the day off," Krystal replied from behind them. Mercury had been too busy looking at the Zat Mitchell had to notice the redhead's approach. The rest of SG-1 turned, and saw the battered, but still in one piece, form of the resident rookie. Mitchell asked what happened, and got a witty reply.

"Got into a fight with a truck after pissing off the evil aliens."

"Come on lieutenant," he finally said. "Lets get these guys up to _Odyssey_."

* * *

She had no idea what hit her. Only that it hurt. A lot. The last thing she could remember was watching her partner suddenly collapse… and a human with a strange weapon aimed right at her. Opening her eyes, she discovered that she was in a strange room. After discovering that she was bound to a chair, she looked around. It wasn't long before she found she wasn't alone. The human female from the café was seated behind a table, with her feet up on top, looking as though she just happened to be there. The redhead appeared to be occupied with some sort of white handheld device that looked like it could fold closed. The human looked up, and closed the device before slipping it into a pocket.

"Well… welcome back to the land of the living," the human said sarcastically.

"Release me," she growled.

"Now why would I do that? Especially since we went through all this trouble to bring you here?"

Krystal leaned back in her chair. With how long it had taken the Youma to wake up, she had actually managed to play through several stages on _Sonic Rush Adventure_. Their new guest just glared daggers at the redhead.

"Now… why don't we have a nice, civil conversation," Krystal said, eliciting another death glare. "Where's your base?"

"Earth will fall. Its only a matter of time."

"Yea… so we've been told," Krystal countered. "By bigger and better."

"Torture me all you want human. You will learn nothing from me."

"Would it surprise you that Anubis himself tried to attack Earth directly? Big bad half Ascended Goa'uld, massive fleet…"

"And this interests me how?"

"We're still here," Krystal replied. "Anubis got his ass kicked by us lowly humans from Earth."

The Youma just started throwing obscenities at the redhead, in various languages. Krystal had an unimpressed look on her face, her mouth actually pushed to the left.

"Ok… fine. You don't want to talk to me," she said. "Then I guess I'll leave you here to think."

With that, the redhead stood up and left the room. Colonel Mitchell was waiting for her in the corridor. Before he could say anything, she shook her head. It looked like he was going to go in there himself when she said that she had a plan. After about five minutes of just standing out in the hallway, Krystal pulled out her magic stick. Her idea was that maybe a Scout might get more information than just a regular human.

She had closed her eyes while trying to pull her arms free. It was unheard of for a Youma to be captured by humans! Yet here she was, in some unknown location. And if that human woman was any indication, it was probably some sort of military installation. The door opened, but she ignored it. Probably that woman again.

"Like I said before, I will tell you…"

_Slap!_

She opened her eyes, surprised that a human would lay a hand on her. To her surprise, it wasn't the redhead. She recognized that style of uniform, although she didn't recognize the person wearing it, or the specific coloration of the outfit itself.

"Senshi…" she growled, before continuing in Japanese. "If you think you can…"

"English please," the senshi spoke in English. "And personally… I prefer the term Scout."

"You'd better just destroy me now, because you will learn nothing from me."

Krystal crossed her arms across her chest. She had a feeling she might get more of a reaction out of the Youma if she was wearing a Scout uniform. She still wanted to burn the skirt though. As the Youma continued to spout off lines about Earth falling to the Dark Kingdom, the redhead made a show of looking like her gold wrist guards were more interesting before making her move. Without warning, she grabbed the chair the Youma was strapped into, and spun it around. A satisfied smirk crossed Krystal's face when she saw the look of utter disbelief on the Youma's face.

"Yea… that's Earth out there," she said. "Doesn't take a genius to figure out where we are does it?"

Spinning the chair back around to its original position, Krystal planted both hands on the Youma's arms and was now face to face with the alien.

"Now that you've got that little detail to process… where's your base? The name of the planet."

The Youma just spat in her face. Wiping her face with one hand, Krystal backed up a couple steps. She was getting nowhere. Granted she wasn't experienced with interrogation at all. Again, the alien started throwing insults at her. But this time… something useful did come out of it.

"Queen Beryl may have failed, but under Alti's command, we _will_ destroy you _all_!"

Krystal just left the room. As soon as the door closed, she slammed her fist against the bulkhead, actually denting it. What little she was able to get was still useless. But… why did the name Alti feel so familiar? Mercury came out from the next room, almost slamming the door closed herself. The look on her face said it all. She had about the same luck as the redhead. Mitchell was leaning against the wall. Teal'c had joined him shortly after Krystal had gone in the second time.

"That bad huh?" he said to both the Scouts.

"All I got was how Earth was going to fall to them," Mercury said.

"Did a little better," Krystal replied. "Got the name of their leader, but that's it."

"Who's leading the Dark Kingdom now?"

"Someone named Alti."

"Well… it's a start," Mitchell finally said. "But we still need their base."

Teal'c just raised an eyebrow, before a slight smirk crossed his face.

She was still surprised by the fact that she was being held aboard some sort of orbital facility. But the fact that she not only frustrated that human woman, but a senshi as well made her feel better. Once again, the door opened. This time, it was a dark skinned man with a golden snake sigil on his forehead.

"Another pathetic human," she spat. "You won't fare any better than the woman and that damn Senshi."

The dark skinned man made no indication that he heard her. He just walked over to the table, pulled the chair out, sat down, and stared at her.

* * *

Krystal had a scene from _Happy Feet_ going through her head as she leaned back in her chair and destroyed innocent pixels on her DS. With her imagination, Krystal could almost see the Amigos standing on the table in front of Ami and SG-1, discussing what Teal'c was doing to the unsuspecting Youma.

_Unimaginable Torture? _one of them would say.

_ Imaginable Torture? _Ramon would add.

_His_ _singing?_ A third would supply. Cue uncontrollable laughter. Suppressing her own urge to laugh, Krystal dispelled the image, and focused on her game. Ami was talking to Luna through her communicator, since Artemis had followed through with whatever plans he made after they hooked up the Scout computer to the _Odyssey_. The lunar cat was currently trying to do research on the new leader of the Dark Kingdom, but was coming up empty. Daniel was looking through some files, hoping to find something useful, while Cam was just relaxing. After what seemed like forever, Teal'c entered the mess hall. He had one of those satisfied Teal'c smirks on his face. Not knowing the resident Jaffa as long as the other members of the team, Krystal asked if she had missed something. Teal'c just pulled up a chair, which made the redhead and Ami sit up. Mitchell asked how it went.

"Both Youma have indicated that their base is on a planet they call Kentaris."

"So… what Jaffa torture technique was needed to get that out of them?" Krystal asked. Teal'c just gave her a knowing smirk and said nothing. Mitchell, on the other hand, had an ear-to-ear grin.

"I'll contact the SGC. Maybe the Tok'ra will have some information we can use," he said as he got up.

"Tok'ra?" Ami asked.

"An offshoot of the Goa'uld, who actually have a true symbiotic relationship with their hosts," Daniel explained.

"Long story," Krystal added. "But at least we got something to work with now."

* * *

Author's Note: Yea... Krystal isn't known for her interrogation skills. How many people liked Teal'c doing his thing? I mean... who CAN survive a session with the big guy? And... the most dangerous combo ever... Ami and Sam.

Next time on _Stargate SG-1_: Welcome... to Stargate Command.


	8. Counteroffensive

Author's Note: Well... the moment you all have been waiting for. What moment is that?

Read on to find out. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 8

Counteroffensive

_"Unscheduled Offworld Activation!"_

General Landry came down into the control room just as Sgt. Harriman looked over one of the monitors. The experienced operator looked up at the General for a second to confirm he was there.

"Receiving IDC sir," Harriman said, turning back to his monitor. "It's the Tok'ra."

"Open the Iris," Landry replied.

Harriman placed his hand on a palm scanner, and the Trinium/Titanium alloy barrier that blocked passage through the Earth Stargate opened just like its namesake. After a minute, a single person emerged from the event horizon, carrying what looked like a large briefcase. The gate shut down, and the person, a woman, stepped off the ramp. General Landry made his way from the control room down into the Gate Room itself. The woman saw him, and introduced herself.

"You must be General Landry," she said, her voice perfectly normal. "I am Freya of the Tok'ra. Anise would have introduced us, but she is still confused over this request you have made."

"I assure you miss, everything will be explained once SG-1 arrives," Landry replied.

"I hope the members of SG-1 won't be upset that I have come, considering our history."

"There've been a few changes since you were here."

"Of course. Colonel… I mean… General O'Neill is now in a much more important position, while Colonel Carter is in command of one of your ships."

General Landry was impressed that the young woman knew about that. Then again, the Tok'ra were aware of the changes to personnel at the SGC. He asked about the case, and Freya said that it contained a holoprojector. Nodding in response, General Landry motioned for her to follow him.

* * *

Ami was amazed that something like this was able to stay hidden from the public for so long. Granted they were under a mountain. The young blunette followed the members of SG-1 through the corridors of Stargate Command on their way to the Conference Room. The plan was to take a slight detour on the way though. Ami was feeling woefully out of place seeing all the military personnel around her. Said personnel didn't really show any indication that they noticed her. Probably figuring she was with SG-1, and therefore not a threat. The group soon came upon a rather large blast door. Mitchell swiped a card through a reader, and the door slid open. It was then that Ami realized why it was such a heavy-duty door. What looked like a converted missile silo was on the other side.

On her right was what looked like a control room. In front of her were a pair of mounted .50 caliber machine guns on either side of a ramp. The real surprise came when she looked to her left. A massive ring was standing upright at the far end of the ramp. Ami could make out various symbols on a track inside the ring, and noticed the various chevrons on the ring appeared to be able to light up.

"Go ahead and take a look," Mitchell said. "We don't have anyone scheduled to come through for a few hours."

Krystal followed Ami up to the Stargate. The blunette put a hand on the ring, still amazed that something like this was even possible.

"Kinda mind blowing isn't it?" Krystal asked.

"Yea… it's amazing," Ami replied.

"You should see it in action. Many breakthroughs in technology were made possible by this thing and the tech we recovered by going through it."

Ami looked back at Krystal. She could tell that familiar surroundings were helping her. Thinking back to something Setsuna said about why Earth's symbol was different from the Prince's, Ami looked at the various symbols on the Stargate. There, near her foot, was the symbol for Earth. She had also seen the same symbol on patches worn by SGC personnel, both here and aboard the _Odyssey_. After a few minutes, Ami rejoined the group and followed them to the Conference Room, which happened to overlook the Gate Room. Taking a seat around the large table, Ami again felt out of place. This was a military installation, with military personnel, and here she was in normal street clothes seated next to the flagship team of Stargate Command.

"Relax," Krystal said, leaning closer to her.

"Kinda feels weird sitting her with you guys," Ami replied.

Further comment on the issue was dropped when General Landry walked in, followed by a blond woman wearing what looked like leather. Daniel groaned.

Krystal had never met a Tok'ra before. So far the only real aliens she's encountered in her short time at the SGC were actually the Youma, and Teal'c. She asked Daniel why he groaned, and the archeologist just said he'd explain later. Apparently, he knew this particular Tok'ra.

"Dr. Jackson, it is a pleasure to see you again," the Tok'ra said.

"Yea… nice to see you too Freya," Daniel replied. After some brief introductions, they went straight down to business. Freya pulled out her case, set it on the table, and opened it. Inside was what looked like some sort of projector. At least that's what Krystal thought. She was proven right when a holographic image of a planet appeared above the table.

"Cool… Can I get one?" the redhead asked. Ignoring the question, Freya started.

"After doing some research, we've located the world you called Kentaris. The planet in question does have a Stargate, and was once targeted by the Goa'uld. But something stopped them. Everything the System Lords sent was either repulsed or never returned. The System Lords eventually gave up and declared Kentaris to be unimportant."

"They actually Black Listed a planet?" Mitchell asked. Freya nodded.

"Operatives were sent to Kentaris to find out why, but few ever returned. Those that did reported that the inhabitants were quite hostile to outsiders, and some even seemed to exhibit what could only be described as supernatural powers. Anise is quite skeptical about that part though. Especially after the Ori Crusade."

"I bet she'd love you Ami," Krystal muttered under her breath.

Ami heard what Krystal said, and apparently Freya did as well. What surprised the blunette though was that Freya closed her eyes for a moment before speaking again. This time… her voice had a strange resonance to it that made it sound… alien.

"And why would you say that lieutenant?" Freya asked.

"Long story," Krystal replied.

"Anise," Daniel cut in, surprising Ami. "We have reason to believe that Kentaris is the source of several attacks on Earth. Ami Mizuno over here is an expert on them."

"I was wondering why you would allow someone who is clearly not connected with the SGC to be present," Anise replied. "And… I am rather curious. Humans normally do not have blue hair."

Mitchell brushed that off, trying to get them back on track. Ami was still trying to figure out why Freya was sounding so weird and why everyone started calling her Anise. Krystal must have caught on to her confusion, because she leaned closer and told her that Anise was actually the Tok'ra symbiote and Freya was the host. Essentially two people in one body. Mitchell finished explaining the situation to Anise, including the recent attacks SG-1 helped repel, the capture of a pair of Youma, and the team up with the Sailor Scouts. The Tok'ra seemed confused at the mention of the Scouts, before her eyes settled on Ami. The Blunette just shrank down in her seat.

"Yes… Ami's a Scout," Krystal said. "Just don't try and analyze her or anything. She's still human."

"But what Colonel Mitchell said about these individuals possessing elemental abilities…" Anise started to say.

"Is physically impossible. Yea we know. Just roll with it. Besides, we got bigger issues to deal with." Mitchell cut in.

Anise warned them that going to Kentaris would be dangerous, which Mitchell didn't deny. But the fact that there was a hostile faction with the technology to bypass Earth's defenses and attack at will meant that they had to respond. Anise closed her eyes, and Freya took a deep breath.

"Well… if you insist on going, be careful. Even the Tok'ra have very little information on the inhabitants of Kentaris," Freya said before handing over the coordinates, and even the Gate Address.

It was at this point that General Landry decided to take over the meeting.

"Since we don't know how close the Stargate is to the enemy base, you'll take the _Odyssey_. SG teams 3 and 5 will join you. Miss Mizuno, I understand that you have fought these aliens before, but I won't force you to accompany SG-1 on this mission if you don't want to."

"That's fine General. I volunteer. And I'm pretty sure Pluto will as soon as she's recovered," Ami replied. "Besides… if there's a chance the others are on Kentaris, then I should be there to help with any rescue attempt."

"Finding the other Scouts was the reason the Japanese called us in," Krystal added. "And so far, everything we've discovered points to the Youma having captured the Scouts."

"Alright," Landry finally said. "If you can locate the Scouts, then do everything in your power to bring them home."

* * *

Setsuna opened her eyes. The last thing she could remember was… Krystal yelling about compromising something? Most of it was foggy at best. Pushing herself up to a sitting position, the green haired woman looked around. It looked like she was in some sort of hospital ward, but something felt off. She was about to pull out an IV that was stuck in her arm when a woman wearing a lab coat noticed her moving and came over.

"Well… nice to see you're feeling better," the woman said.

"Where am I?" Setsuna asked.

"You're aboard the _USS Odyssey_. I'm Dr. Carolyn Lam. You were infected with a modified strain of what we call the Prior Plague. It took us a while to figure out how to modify an existing cure to counter it."

Setsuna didn't really understand what was going on. Apparently she was somehow aboard some sort of Navy ship, which doesn't make sense considering the only one she knew who had a military connection was Air Force, and these people apparently were familiar with whatever the Youma had hit her with. Dr. Lam said that Colonel Mitchell would explain everything when SG-1 returned from the SGC. Again Setsuna didn't understand. Although she figured SG-1 was the unit that Krystal was a part of, considering they were present at Juuban High.

"I take it we're in Tokyo Bay?" Setsuna asked.

"Actually, we're holding in a Geosync orbit above Colorado," a new voice responded. Setsuna turned, and saw a blond woman wearing green fatigues. The blond smiled. "Colonel Samantha Carter. United States Air Force, Stargate Command. I'll fill you in on what's happened."

* * *

One SG Team alone could be considered a serious threat to anyone they were aimed at. Three SG Teams… was a force to be reckoned with. The Marines of SG-5 were checking their weapons while Colonel Reynolds and SG-3 were patiently waiting at the base of the ramp up to the Stargate. Their mission to P7V-881 was canceled rather suddenly, so Reynolds was curious as to what was going on. SG-1 soon arrived, with a blunette in tow. The Marines snapped to attention.

"At ease guys," Mitchell said, allowing SG-5 to relax. "Ok… here's the rundown. We got ourselves a Search and Rescue behind enemy lines. On top of that, we have to find a way to neutralize the enemy's ability to attack Earth at will. Not gonna be easy, but then again… we don't get paid to do easy work."

"Mitchell!" Reynolds spoke up. "Who's your new friend?"

"Ami Mizuno, AKA Sailor Mercury," Krystal replied to her old CO. "She's also an expert on the aliens we're going up against. Also guys… I've suggested that we get a mix of Armor Piercing and Explosive Tip rounds for this one. Youma are about as tough as a Wraith that has recently fed. We'll need the extra punch."

"Nice to see you settling in with SG-1 Jade," Reynolds said with a smile. "Colonel Mitchell hasn't been giving you a hard time has he?"

"No sir," Krystal replied, "Then again, he learned real fast that I fight back and fight dirty."

Mitchell rolled his eyes, trying not to smile. He then decided to continue.

"We got another Scout aboard the _Odyssey_, Sailor Pluto, who will be joining us on this as soon as she recovers from the modified Prior Plague that was used against her. Don't ask about the names or the fact that these people are teenagers at the very least. They have experience fighting these aliens. We're gonna need that experience if we're going to get their friends out in one piece. And here's the best part, the Goa'uld actually blacklisted the planet we're going to."

"Just give the word sir," the leader of SG-5 said.

"Gentlemen, the word is given," Mitchell replied, before reaching for his radio. "_Odyssey_, Mitchell. SG Teams 1,3, and 5 ready for Transport."

One flash of light later, and the Gate Room was empty.

* * *

The _Odyssey_ broke orbit and sped away from Earth before opening a Hyperspace Window and accelerating to faster than light speeds. Even with the incredible speeds the battlecruiser could achieve, it would still take some time for them to arrive at Kentaris. After being released from the Infirmary, Setsuna was reunited with Ami in the mess hall. Although still a little perturbed that they had to work with the military, the green haired woman finally accepted the fact that they needed help. After hearing about the Stargate Program from Colonel Carter, Setsuna calmed down on the subject in general.

"So we're going to the planet the Youma are coming from?" Setsuna asked.

"Yes," Ami replied. "The planet does have a Stargate, but they don't know how far away it is from the Youma. It could even be on the opposite side of the planet for all we know."

"Feels weird to be doing this," Setsuna finally admitted. "Going on the offensive like this, let alone leaving our Solar System in general. How will it affect our powers?"

"Hopefully… hardly at all."

Setsuna looked up, and saw Krystal. The redhead had three soda bottles, and was offering one to her. Accepting the bottle, Setsuna thought for a moment about what Krystal said. Meanwhile, said redhead had taken a seat and gave the second bottle to Ami.

"You still haven't even used your own powers Krystal," Ami pointed out. "Then again… we really haven't gotten around to teaching you how."

"So I'll learn as I go," Krystal replied. "Or I'll just stick with my M4. Besides, we got three SG teams backing us up. Not to mention the _Odyssey_ and an ace F-302 squadron for air support if we need it."

Ami leaned back in her seat. She had to admit, going on the offensive was a bit of a switch for them. They were so used to reacting to Youma attacks that they never really considered it. And after Beryl was defeated they thought they could relax for once. Now here they were, sitting aboard a military space ship about to go on the offensive against the Youma on their own turf. Xena, who had been beamed aboard just before the Odyssey broke orbit, jumped up on the table. Krystal reached out and started scratching the orange lunar tabby behind her ears.

"Krystal… are you sure you're up for this?" Ami finally asked.

The redhead sighed. She really didn't want to have to deal with that. Finally, Krystal looked Ami in the eye.

"Doesn't matter," she replied. "We've got a job to do."

* * *

At first glance, Kentaris appeared to be a peaceful planet. The _Odyssey_ settled into orbit above the planet, fully prepared to defend herself. Colonel Carter stood up from the command chair just as SG-1 and the two Scouts arrived on the Bridge.

"Anybody home?" Mitchell asked, looking out at the planet.

"We've detected a large city on the main continent," one of the officers reported. "And the Stargate… is on the edge of the city."

"At least you'll have an alternate escape route," Carter said.

"Picking up a lot of life signs down there," another officer reported. "Can't distinguish human from non human."

Half an hour later, SG-3 was securing the gate while SG-1 was clearing out the perimeter. Mercury and Pluto seemed a bit on edge being so far from home, but were willing to see this through. When SG-1 returned, Mitchell called everyone together.

"Alright, we got a lot of ground to cover here, so we'll split up," he said. "Jade, you know the scouts a bit better than we do. What do you think?"

"Sir?" Krystal asked. Mitchell suggested that at least one scout go with each team. Catching on, Krystal said that Mercury should go with SG-3 while Pluto worked with the Marines. Reynolds noticed an apparent flaw in the plan, and pointed out that there were only two scouts. Krystal sighed, then pulled out her stick.

"Apparently… I'm a reservist. SG-1's covered, " she said, then turned to Mercury. "I used to be with SG-3. Colonel Reynolds and his team will watch your back."

"Any friend of Krystal's is a friend of mine," Reynolds said. "We'll take care of you."

Mercury nodded before standing with SG-3. Pluto didn't say anything, and just hung back with SG-5. Once everyone was situated, Mitchell told everyone to remain in radio contact before setting out.

Before they set out, Major Altman approached Pluto, and offered her an M-16.

"With all due respect to your skill with that staff," he said. "I'd feel a little better knowing you…"

Without saying a word, Pluto took the rifle, ejected the magazine, replaced the magazine, and primed the weapon. The Marines blinked in surprise at the show of knowledge and skill. Before anyone could ask, Pluto offered a cryptic response.

"Desert Storm," she said, somehow making the weapon disappear behind her back. "You coming?"

They knew then that there was a lot more to this green haired woman than met the eye.

* * *

Author's Note: Hehe... Now things are getting serious, and Stargate Command gets involved in this conflict. Also... Pluto has quite the skillset doesn't she? I mean... she'd have to considering who she is.

Next time on _Stargate SG-1_: Law of Murphy strikes again.


	9. There goes the Neighborhood

Author's Note: Ok... here we go. Chapter 9 for joo!

* * *

Chapter 9

There goes the Neighborhood

They were getting lucky. That much she knew. Mercury stayed close to the members of SG-3 as they made their way through back alleys of the Youma city. Colonel Reynolds held up a hand as they neared a corner, and the regular members of the team instantly went on alert. He looked back at the blunette, and motioned for her to come over to him. It was then that she saw why he had stopped. Two Youma we standing in the center of the cross street.

"Any ideas?" Reynolds asked. "I kinda want to hold off on engaging the enemy as long as possible, to avoid tipping them off that we're even here."

"I can throw up a mist," Mercury replied. "Should keep them from seeing us."

Reynolds nodded, then told his team to stay close. Taking a moment to focus, Mercury waved her hand in the direction of the aliens, and the entire area started fogging up. The two Youma were caught off guard by the sudden change in weather, but didn't notice the four humans and one Scout sneak passed them.

* * *

"Remind me to never get on your bad side," Major Altman said after Pluto motioned that it was all clear. Unlike back at Juuban High, where she ran the risk of hitting a member of SG-1, the green haired Time Guardian had no reservations about using her powers here. The marines just watched her obliterate a pair of patrolling Youma with what they could only describe as a blast of energy that totally vaporized the aliens.

"There are advantages to having powers over Time itself," she said. "But at the same time… I'm probably tied down more then the others."

"Why's that?" one of the marines asked. "I mean… if you can go through time, you can see what's coming. That would be one hell of an advantage."

"I can't risk altering the flow of time," Pluto replied. "Not without causing irreparable harm. I can't so much as check lotto numbers. Time must proceed as it is meant too. I just insure that it does."

"Damn…" another marine said. "That has got to suck."

"You have no idea…" Pluto said to herself quietly before motioning for the marines of SG-5 to follow. So far, things had been easy. A little too easy. Thanks to her vast experience over centuries of watching history unfold, she knew something was wrong.

* * *

"Another street, another patrol," Krystal growled as she ducked back behind the corner of the building SG-1 was hiding behind. "If only the _Odyssey_ could identify where the other Scouts were, we'd be in and out in no time."

"Indeed," Teal'c replied. Mitchell just pulled a cylinder off his vest, and pulled a pin out of it. Chucking the object around the corner, Mitchell managed to land it right at the feet of the Youma. They pair had enough time to look at the foreign object in confusion before the Flashbang went off. Shortly after that, the Youma were assaulted by three P90s and one M4 on full auto. The mix of armor piercing and explosive tip rounds did the job, knocking down the aliens without wasting half a magazine to do it.

"Good call on the ammo," Mitchell said, smiling at the young redhead.

"Explosive tip on the P90s and armor piercing in my rifle," Krystal replied. "Deadly combination. And effective too from the looks of it. We shredded them."

Without another word, the members of SG-1 left the scene of the ambush and moved on. But something was bothering the resident redhead. She couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Several times her hand dropped down to the pocket where her magic stick was, but each time she pulled away and focused on the task at hand. After going through several more alleys, SG-1 soon found a building that looked promising. Slinking inside, the four-member team spread out to search the place. Krystal hesitated when she found one room occupied by what appeared to be some scientists. Without alerting them, she slipped passed the lab and moved on.

_"SG-3 taking fire!"_

Krystal froze when the call came over the radio. The next voice she heard was Mitchell's.

_"Reynolds, what's your status?"_

_ "Pinned down in a plaza. Mercury's thrown up a mist to cover us but they started spraying the area with everything from lightning to fireballs."_

_ "Sierra Gulf Five en route."_

She tightened her grip on her rifle. Krystal wanted to go and help, but by the time she got there it might be too late. Taking a deep breath, she continued her search of the building. The best thing SG-1 could do now is find the captured Scouts. The sound of gunfire snapped her back to reality. Just as she turned around to try and regroup with the rest of the team, the scientists came out from the room she had passed. Swearing under her breath, the young redhead charged passed them, knocking one over in the process. Ignoring the shouts of alarm, she continued down the hall until she found SG-1 pinned down by several hostile Youma. Snapping her rifle up, she fired a three round burst into the nearest enemy. Daniel noticed her arrival, but didn't say anything.

* * *

With the arrival of SG-5, the tide seemed to turn in the favor of the teams from Earth. Mercury and Pluto broke away from the SG teams and assaulted the Youma from the sides while they were distracted by gunfire. One of the Youma managed to get a lucky strike in on Pluto, but soon regretted it as the Guardian of Time obliterated the offender.

"Surrender Senshi, or the humans die!"

Both Scouts turned, and found both teams held captive by easily three times their number. How they ambushed the SG teams they didn't know. For a moment, the Scouts stood their ground.

"Defiant as ever," the leader growled as she tightened her grip on Colonel Reynolds. "I don't know how you came to Kentaris, but I promise you these humans will die slowly unless you surrender."

Pluto growled, but lowered her staff.

"They win this round," she said to Mercury.

"At least they don't know about SG-1," the blunette replied. "And we'll find out where the others are."

Before they were taken into custody, Mercury activated her communicator. Hopefully, SG-1 or the _Odyssey_ can use her signal to track them.

* * *

Gritting his teeth, Cameron Mitchell ducked behind the corner as another blast took a chunk out of the wall. They were effectively pinned down, and he didn't want to risk exposing the _Odyssey_ just yet. Swapping his empty mag out for a fresh one, Mitchell opened up once again on the hostile aliens. Krystal was doing her best to cover them, but the Youma were not backing down.

"Jade!" Mitchell called out as a Youma tried to flank them. The warning came too late as the young redhead was grabbed and thrown through a wall. The leader of SG-1 shifted his attention to the new threat, only to discover more aliens behind her.

Krystal moaned as she pulled herself up from the debris. Getting ambushed like that was never fun. From her vantage point, she saw more Youma closing in on SG-1. She didn't have a choice now. Digging into her pocket, Krystal grabbed her magic stick and pulled it out.

The Youma charged. Mitchell ducked under the strike, slamming his P90 into the alien's stomach before popping it up into her face. He knew it was only a matter of time now, but he was gonna be damned if he didn't at least give them hell for it. Just as he was going to unload at point blank range, a green boot slammed into the Youma's face before a gloved hand flipped it over. Krystal was now in her Scout uniform, kicking ass and taking names with combat knife in hand. The sudden appearance of a Scout seemed to set off the Youma, as they now focused on her more than SG-1.

"Get out of here sir!" Krystal said over her shoulder. "I'll keep them busy."

"Not without you…"

"GO!"

Mitchell growled under his breath before ordering Teal'c and Jackson to fall back. With the aliens focused on the resident redhead, the rest of SG-1 managed to get clear. Or so they thought. As soon as they were outside, they were surrounded by Youma.

"Going somewhere human?" one of them asked seductively before striking the Air Force officer.

Krystal swore as she kicked another Youma away. This hallway was a really bad place to mix it up. Enemies were practically pouring in from both sides. Taking advantage of the lull she had, the redhead charged around the corner, and was forced in another direction. Her escape was cut off. There was only one way open to her, and that was the stairwell. Without hesitation, she went for it and made her way up.

"This might be a lot easier if I knew how to use whatever I got," she growled as she made it to the roof. "Ok… new plan…"

"Here's two for you," Someone said behind her. "Surrender or die."

Krystal spun around, and discovered a raven-haired woman wearing black armor. She held a nasty looking katana in her hand as she locked her ruby eyes on the green clad lieutenant turn Scout. Krystal's eyes widened when she saw the blade, an image from that dream forming in her mind of her looking down at her chest and seeing the tip of a blade poking through between her breasts. Gritting her teeth, Krystal took up a defensive posture. The raven-haired woman blinked as she got a good look at her.

"You?" she asked in disbelief. "Didn't I kill you?"

Krystal didn't respond. Something about this woman felt familiar to her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. The woman continued.

"I don't know how you Scouts came to Kentaris, or why there are Humans here as well, but you made my job a lot easier. I was wondering what caused the strange energy burst near that ring. When I learned about the humans and the Scouts, I ordered my forces to wait until the right moment. I should thank you for handing me Mercury and Pluto on a silver platter."

"You made a big mistake attacking Earth," Krystal retorted. The woman leveled her sword at her.

"Humans… pathetic creatures. They may be the second evolution of our form, but they are weak. We were superior to them. Why the Atlantis Council and the Lunar Queen even bothered with them… doesn't matter now anyways. The Dark Kingdom shall take its rightful place as the rulers of this Galaxy."

"You're Alti," Krystal realized, her hands balled up into fists. Something about this was seriously pissing her off.

"Unlike my predecessor, I at least have some honor," she replied, raising the katana's blade in a casual salute. "I am Alti Sheppard, Supreme Commander of the Dark Kingdom. And you are?"

"Lieutenant Krystal Jade. United States Air Force, Stargate Command," Krystal replied defiantly. Although her first reaction was to identify herself as a Scout, her military training took hold. Remembering her combat knife, Krystal reversed her grip. Alti scoffed at the redhead, saying something about her being foolish. Seeing that the redhead wasn't going to back down, Alti charged. Krystal was immediately put on the defensive as she discovered that Alti was quite skilled with her blade. Having trained for combat against more modern weapons and combat styles, the redhead was totally out of her element against a sword wielder. Several times when she thought there was an opening, Krystal ended up getting slammed in the face, the stomach, or barely avoiding Alti's blade. The fight took the pair to the edge of the roof. With the redhead backed against the edge, Alti struck. Krystal tried to catch the blade with her own, only to watch in horror as the katana sliced through the steel as though it was butter and embed itself in her gold wrist guard. Wincing from the blade's bite, which was luckily dulled by the piece of armor it had to go through, Krystal pushed back against Alti's blade.

"I guess I get to kill you again," Alti said with a smirk. "Too bad I never found out which planet you were named after, green Scout."

Withdrawing her blade, Alti threw Krystal off balance before whirling around and landing a powerful kick to the redhead's stomach. The blow was enough to send her over the edge.

Only one thought ran through Krystal's mind as she fell.

_I failed._

* * *

Author's Note: *Grabs crash helmet* CLIFFHANGER! You guys weren't expecing it to be easy were you? Unfamiliar enemy for the SGC with really unknown capabilities...

And before anyone rages... Krystal identifying herself as Air Force instead of a Scout is still showing she's not accepted who she is. But... that will change soon enough. Also... is anyone really ready for a Final Boss Fight on the first encounter?

Next time on _Stargate SG-1_: The pieces fall into place, and our resident redhead gets some unexpected help.


	10. Unexpected Help

Author's Note: Sorry for the late update everyone. Due to a recent computer issue, I _almost_ had to put Sierra Echo on hiatus due to the fact that I couldn't access the chapters on my own computer. Luckily... I remembered that I had sent a copy of the chapters to a friend of mine and fellow oFc member Monkee. That led me to remember that I had the files on Dropbox. And so... I have the finished story on my flash drive, and updates can continue. My computer is still disabled, so I will continue to try and work on it. But I still have access to the internet via alternate means. Wish me luck in the ongoing battle to save my own PC.

Enough talking from me. ON WITH THE STORY!

* * *

Chapter 10

Unexpected Help

Krystal found herself in a dark abyss. The last thing she could remember was falling from a rather tall building. She could feel solid ground beneath her as she pushed herself up to a sitting position.

"Ok… I'm dead," she said to herself, noting the echo that reverberated through the abyss. It sounded almost like she was in a large chamber. "Not exactly what I was expecting."

A door opened, and light poured through. Krystal shielded her eyes from the glare. Someone was coming. It wasn't long before a gloved hand offered to help her up. The strange part was… that gloved hand had the same wrist guard she had on now. Taking the hand, Krystal was pulled to her feet and came face to face with… herself. Granted this doppelganger wore her hair differently, she had the same face. It was almost like looking into a mirror. Krystal's mouth hung open for a second.

"The Queen is expecting you," her counterpart said. It sounded weird to hear her own voice come from someone else.

"Um…"

"You're not dead. Your body is still on Kentaris, but the Queen summoned you here when the opportunity presented itself."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"The Queen will answer your questions."

Krystal followed, mocking her counterpart as soon as her back was turned. Nothing was making sense. As they passed through the door, more details became clear. Her counterpart was wearing the exact same outfit she was. Not only that, they were walking down a marble corridor that looked like it came from a castle. It wasn't long before they came to another chamber. It looked like a ballroom to Krystal, but the most shocking thing was the view of Earth. The redhead gasped as she saw what looked like the surface of the Moon. Standing near one of the great windows was a woman wearing a very ornate dress, silver hair cascading down her back. Krystal's counterpart stepped forward and kneeled.

"Queen Serenity, I brought her as you asked."

Krystal blinked.

"Thank you Kayla," the Queen replied, turning around. Again, Krystal blinked. The woman appeared to be in her early thirties at most. But the thing she noticed was that her face was similar to the picture of Sailor Moon that she saw back at the SGC. The Queen focused on her.

"I apologize for pulling you here, but even those such as ourselves could sense the conflict within you."

Krystal's jaw dropped. She was talking to ghosts. That was the only thing that came to mind. It took a second for one fact to click. The Queen had called her counterpart Kayla. Krystal turned to face her. As if she knew, Kayla offered a sly smile before nodding her head back in the direction of the Queen.

"Normally, our kind do not interfere in the affairs of the lower plains. However, I have some leeway when it comes to my daughter and her companions," the Queen said. "And… I understand that Stargate Command has some experience with Ascended Beings."

"Ascended… holy crap… You're both Ancients?"

"In a manner of speaking," the Queen replied. "You fear that your loyalties are being divided because of your destiny to take the mantle of the Scout of Earth. But those fears are misplaced. Your loyalty is, and has always been, to Earth itself. That is why I chose Kayla after speaking with the Earth Prince and Sailor Pluto all those years ago. I regret that Kayla didn't survive long enough to get to know my daughter, but at least she was a good friend of Sailor Mercury's, even if she didn't know about Kayla's status."

Krystal blinked again. This was all going over her head. It was sounding like she was _meant_ to be friends with Ami, and that she was meant to… she hated predestination paradoxes and other time related crap like that. But one thing did stand out. No matter what uniform she was wearing, she was still fighting for Earth. Her loyalties weren't divided after all. Kayla walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder. Krystal could tell that she understood how she felt. The Queen spoke up again.

"Krystal, you are the reincarnation of Kayla Sheppard, but you are also a unique individual. Your loyalty to your friends and fellow soldiers is admirable."

"Thanks," Krystal replied, unsure what else to say. Ascended Being or not, she was in the presence of royalty. The Queen reached for a sword on a nearby stand. Once it was in her hand, the Queen turned to face Krystal.

"Before I proceed, I have one question," she said. "Are you willing to sacrifice yourself to save others if need be?"

"With all due respect," Krystal replied. "I wouldn't be with the SGC if I wasn't."

"Then kneel."

Krystal did as she was told, unsure what was going on. The Queen approached her, and rested the blade of her sword on her shoulder. It was then that something clicked.

"Lieutenant Krystal Jade of Earth, do you swear to protect not only the planet Earth, but all planets in the system? To face the darkness wherever it rises?"

"I do," Krystal responded, feeling more confident now.

"And do you swear to aid your fellow Scouts in times of need?"

"I do."

The sword lifted up off the redhead's shoulder, a smile gracing the features of the Queen.

"Then rise, Sailor Earth. Complete your mission. Save my daughter and her team."

Krystal found herself once again in the abyss, but she wasn't alone. Kayla stood before her, a somber expression on her face. Krystal could tell something was bothering her.

"I know who you face," Kayla said. "She was my sister. How she could betray us… I don't know."

She then looked up right into Krystal's eyes.

"You must defeat her if Earth is to be saved."

"I don't even know how…" Krystal started to say.

Kayla just brushed some hair out of Krystal's face.

"You will…" she said cryptically. Suddenly, everything went white.

* * *

"It was a mistake to bring her here!"

"If there is a chance…"

"They attack our kind on sight!"

"With good reason! Our people attacked them first! But this one is different! We might have a chance to convince her that we are not the enemy!"

Krystal could hear voices. And it sounded like they were arguing. Without opening her eyes, she could tell she was flat on her back. She also felt like hell. Pushing herself up to a sitting position, Krystal finally opened her eyes. She found herself in what looked like an apartment. Resting her head in a hand, the redhead tried to deal with the headache that was threatening to drive her back down.

"Senshi attack Youma! Its as simple as that!"

"No its not. You weren't around for the start of the war. We attacked them first without warning."

"How do we know she won't destroy us?"

"How many Senshi do you know have red hair?"

"None… why?"

"That means she may be a new recruit. We might have a chance to convince her we don't wish to fight."

"She's awake."

Krystal looked up, and saw several Youma staring at her. Unlike the others she encountered, these Youma were dressed more conservatively, one was even wearing a lab coat. For a moment, Krystal had the "Deer caught in the Headlights" look. So far, they made no move to attack. If anything, it sounded like they were arguing over if she was going to attack _them _or not. One of the Youma approached her. She had an air of authority about her, but also looked like a battle weary soldier.

"Give us a chance to explain ourselves," she started to say.

"O…k…" Krystal replied, still unsure what the hell was going on, especially after apparently talking to an Ancient.

"There are some of us who do not wish to continue this war with Earth. When Beryl was defeated, many of us believed we could finally settle down. But Commander Alti wanted to continue. There aren't enough of us to oppose her openly, but maybe with your help, we can finally have Peace."

Krystal blinked. It was sounding like there were Rebel Youma, and she may very well be in the presence of one of their leaders. The Youma woman continued, saying that they risked exposing themselves to save her, but were unable to do anything about the humans that were taken captive. Hearing that, she knew that SG-1 was captured, and most likely the others as well. So far the only advantage they had was Alti most likely assumed she was dead, and that the _Odyssey_ was still in orbit. Shaking her head, Krystal couldn't help but laugh.

"I told you she wouldn't believe us," the scientist deadpanned.

"No… its not that," Krystal replied. "Seems like the SGC has a tradition of helping Rebels."

"SGC?"

"Long story involving an alien artifact and teams traveling to other planets."

The Youma just looked at her in confusion. They knew nothing of the Stargate at all. Krystal sighed.

"Look if you really do want to end this conflict, then… you help me find the captured Scouts as well as the SG teams, then I'll try to help you."

"Deal," the lead Youma said, offering her hand. Krystal took it. "I am Shura. You are…"

Krystal gave the rebel leader a devious smirk.

"Earth."

* * *

Colonel Carter was pacing. Something was wrong. None of the teams had reported in yet. Their inability to distinguish human lifesigns from Youma made it even worse. Frankly, she'd feel better facing off against a pair of old Goa'uld Ha'taks or a Wraith Hiveship then sitting here. And on top of that, they've been picking up a signal that seemed to be coming from Sailor Mercury, but they were unable to get in contact with her at all.

"Odyssey, _this is Lt. Jade."_

Carter practically pounced on the nearest console, surprising the airman assigned to it.

"Read you loud and clear lieutenant," she replied. "What's your status?"

_"All teams have been captured by hostile forces. I'm the only one left."_

"Stand by. We'll contact the SGC and call for reinforcements."

_"Negative Sam. This is my mess. I'll clean it up. But I do need some gear."_

"What do you need?"

_"Enough flak jackets and weapons for at least a dozen people. Can you send them down to the Stargate in say… fifteen minutes?"_

Carter blinked before confirming. Something was off. Before she could ask, Krystal had already cut the channel. With a string of orders, Carter got the ball rolling. Something was going on, and she was going to find out for herself.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Krystal was waiting with the Youma Rebels next to the Stargate. The Youma couldn't believe that the ring was really an advanced piece of technology capable of opening a wormhole between planets. The conversation was interrupted by a flash of white light. Several crates appeared, along with something Krystal wasn't expecting.

"Colonel!" she said, snapping off a salute.

For a moment, Carter didn't recognize Krystal, but then she remembered everything Ami had said about the Scouts and the fact that unless they revealed themselves to someone, they wouldn't be recognized. Catching on, Krystal reverted to her "Civilian" form.

"Made some new friends lieutenant?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am," Krystal replied. "The only hitch in the plan is they don't know where the SG teams are being held, but Mila here has an idea on the captured Scouts."

The Youma in the lab coat nodded, then explained about their use of the Prior Plague, and that the Scouts were being held in a secure lab near the city center. While Carter listened to Shura's story, Krystal checked the weapons.

"Everything from P-90s to MP5s and M-16s. Nice," she said as she pulled out a fresh M-4.

"We are risking everything on this Earth," Shura said. "If we fail…"

"Yea I know. Not the first time we've had our back to the wall," Krystal replied, tossing a P90 over to the Youma. She then turned back to Carter. "Sam, gonna need all the help we can get if we're gonna do this. Alti still doesn't know about you or the _Odyssey_."

"I can have the Wildcards ready for launch as soon as I get back," Carter replied. "We're also picking up a signal. It matches what we got off of Mercury's communicator, but we can't seem to establish contact. Its almost like she's just holding down the transmit button but not listening for a response."

Krystal thought for a moment. It didn't make sense to be sending out a signal unless…

"She's transmitting her location!" Krystal exclaimed, pointing at Carter. "Mercury and Pluto were with the other teams when they got captured. Its possible that Mercury knew the _Odyssey_ could trace her signal!"

Carter facepalmed. That was the one thing she didn't think about. Then again, until about fifteen minutes ago, she didn't even know the mission went FUBAR. Contacting the _Odyssey_, Carter checked to see if they could trace the signal. Once she got an affirmative, the former member of SG-1 looked at the rookie. Krystal pulled out her scanner. With a little work between the two, they managed to rig up the Lantian device to track the signal as well. A few minutes to teach the Youma how to handle Earth firearms, and they were ready. Carter could see a change in the young lieutenant. Before the mission, she was doing a balancing act trying to keep herself together. Now, she was confident.

"Are you sure the other… Scouts will listen to you if you vouch for us Earth?" Shura asked.

"I'm sure at least one will," Krystal replied. "Hopefully Mercury can convince the others."

"You got a plan Krystal?" Carter asked.

"Yea. Save the guys, save the Scouts, kick Alti's ass," Krystal replied. "I'll work out the details on the way."

* * *

Author's Note: Its true... the SGC seems to always come to the aid of rebels. Abydos, the Jaffa (over time), the resistance in the Ori Home Galaxy (indirectly)... The Youma may be entities from another reality, but the population on Kentaris have been there for 10000 years. And I'm pretty sure they are sentient beings. Older ones may get ideas based on experiences. Just like isolating populations on Earth, things change and take a different course. Anyways... we're coming up on some good stuff.

I also admit I had a hard time with this chapter as well, specifically the first part. Meeting the Queen made some sense, again connecting the Lunarians to the Ancients. The thing I had a hard time with was _Kayla's_ presence. Perhaps the Queen had something to do with it. *shrug*

Next time on_ Stargate SG-1_: The meeting of Heroes.


	11. Rescue

Author's Note: It is on now! Ladies and gentlement... I present to you... the chapter you have been waiting for.

Cue _SG-1_ theme, because it is time to rescue the Scouts!

* * *

Chapter 11

Rescue

Shortly after Carter beamed back up to the _Odyssey_, Krystal was back in her Scout uniform, although the M-4 slung across her back and the radio now clipped to her back ribbon clashed with the outfit.

"Why they had to make these outfits so… fu-fu… I don't know…" she said to herself as the group closed in on the building that Mercury was held in. The redhead held up a fist, signaling the rebel Youma to stop as she checked her Scanner again. They were right outside the building, but she couldn't determine which floor the signal was coming from. Without even thinking about it, she "pocketed" the Scanner behind her back before moving up to the door. It was a side entrance, and it was locked.

"Anybody have the keys, or should I just knock on the door?" Krystal asked. Mila approached the door, and inserted a card into the lock.

"I work here," she explained. "I was actually one of the scientists who weaponized the Plague. I don't know where Alti got it, but I was always uncomfortable around the stuff."

"With good reason. The Prior Plague was nasty stuff during the Ori Crusade," Krystal replied.

Opening the door, the group entered into a hallway, and instantly found a place to take cover. Krystal pulled her rifle off her back and checked the magazine. Even that small act made her feel a little better about the situation. She had some control over her destiny. Tightening her grip on the rifle, the green clad redhead lead the way back into the hall and through the building. Several times, she pulled out her Scanner to check on Mercury's signal. They went floor-by-floor, luck holding out as the lower levels were uninhabited at the time. Finally… the Scanner picked up a group of life signs. Motioning for the rebels to hang back, Krystal slinked in to investigate.

"How did you get here?"

"You brought us here obviously."

_SLAP_

Colonel Mitchell recoiled from the impact of the Youma's hand. He could honestly say he had been through worse, especially after crashing his F-302 in Antartica when Anubis attacked Earth.

"How did you Humans come to this world?"

Mitchell just rolled his eyes before making another smartass remark, this time about the Youma's mother. The alien growled and raised her hand again, but hesitated when a gloved hand poked her in the shoulder.

"Excuse me," a familiar voice said from behind the Youma. "Could you tell me where the restroom is?"

One minute, the alien was turning to face whoever was behind her with an annoyed look on her face, the next she was flat on her back, out cold. Standing over her with a confident smirk on her face was a familiar redhead wearing a Scout uniform.

"Trading recipes sir?" Lt. Jade asked.

"Not even a decent pie crust," Mitchell replied. Krystal cut him loose from the restraints before calling for someone to come inside. Mitchell was surprised to see more Youma, wearing flak jackets and armed with Earth weapons. Krystal explained that they were on their side, then asked where the others were.

"Next room over," Mitchell replied as he kept an eye on the Rebel Youma. A few minutes later, the SG Teams were free, but still without their gear. Major Altman said that he saw the aliens take their equipment down the hall.

Most of the weapons and equipment they took off the Humans was typical of what they knew about. Chemical based projectile weapons and primitive electronic based devices. What was strange though was a couple of the Humans had strange, snake shaped devices that appeared to be some form of weapon. The Youma examining the equipment jumped as one of the devices came to life.

_"Hey. You. Yes… you. Over here."_

Picking up the device, she discovered it was one of the communications devices they all carried.

"How…"

_"I can't hear you threaten to conquer my planet unless you push the button on the radio."_

She examined the device, and…

Everything went black.

Krystal stood over the now unconscious Youma, brushing her hands off casually. She then called for the SG Teams to get their gear, which they did eagerly. They wanted payback. Mitchell quickly organized the teams, preparing for whatever came next. Checking her Scanner, Krystal figured that if Mercury wasn't on this floor, she was probably on the next one.

"Well… now what?" Daniel asked.

"Now… we finish what we started," Krystal replied.

* * *

Mercury groaned. She was starting to hate hanging here like this. If looks could kill, then the one Pluto was giving the Youma would have vaporized them, and the wall behind them.

"It doesn't make any sense," one of the Youma said. "The Plague isn't having any effect on Sailor Pluto."

"What about her?" the other asked, indicating Mercury. The first one just brushed her off, still trying to find the reason behind Pluto's apparent Immunity. At least they didn't take her Communicator off her wrist.

_Come on…_ she thought. _You've got the tech Carter. Trace my signal and get us out of here already._

A small cylinder flew in from the open door. Recognizing it immediately, Mercury shut her eyes before the Flashbang lived up to its name. Everyone was buffeted by a bright flash of light and very loud _bang_. Ears ringing, Mercury tried opening her eyes. Only getting part of the Flashbang effect, her vision wasn't totally screwed up and she was able to see two members of SG-3 take down the now disoriented Youma. For a moment, she was confused, as both SG teams 3 and 5 were captured with them. Her confusion gave way to relief when she saw SG-1 come in, with Krystal wearing her Scout uniform. The redhead said something to her, but the blunette's ears were still ringing.

"What?" she almost yelled.

Krystal facepalmed, trying not to laugh. After about a minute, she tried again.

"You ok?" Krystal asked.

"Yea," Mercury replied. "Can you get me down from here?"

As Krystal helped Mercury, Pluto couldn't help but notice a significant difference in the redhead's demeanor. Gone was the unsure woman torn between two sides. What stood before them now was a very confident woman who apparently found a balance, and was more than willing to fight. As the green haired Scout retrieved her staff, she saw a group of Youma behind SG-1. Before she could move to attack, Krystal intercepted her.

"Let them explain," she said. The look in her eyes told Pluto that she was serious. Looking over at Mercury, who just shrugged, Pluto relaxed. A few minutes later, and both Scouts stood there with dumbfounded looks. The idea that some Youma wanted an end to the fighting seemed… wrong. They were used to fighting the aliens that they never even thought about the idea. Shura, the lead Rebel, assured them that she was telling the truth, and that saving Earth should be more than enough to prove it. At the mention of Earth, Pluto looked over at Krystal. The redhead shrugged, saying that it seemed like the right thing to say at the time. Before she could reply, Krystal took out her Scanner. After about a minute, she looked down the hallway.

"This way," she said.

Mercury shrugged again, then followed behind her.

Now reunited with Mercury and Pluto, Krystal could focus on tracking down the others. According to her Scanner, there was another group of Lifesigns down the hall.

_Please let that be the others. _She thought. _Then maybe we can get out of here._

* * *

"Still no word from Lt. Jade ma'am."

Carter leaned back in her chair. The Wildcards were ready for launch, the _Odyssey's_ weapons were armed and ready, all they needed was for Jade to call them in. The former member of SG-1 could only guess that things were actually going well for a change if the call hasn't come in yet.

"Then either everything's working out, or everything went to Hell," Carter sighed.

* * *

After clearing out the entire floor, the SG Teams and the Scouts found what they were looking for. The captured Scouts were being held in pods. Mila confirmed that they were in fact alive, and still had the Plague in their systems. Mitchell asked if opening the pods would set off alarms.

"Not if I open them," Mila replied, before inputting her security code into one of the monitoring devices. The pod opened, revealing a brunette wearing the standard Scout uniform with green skirt and pink accents. Krystal muttered about destroying the ribbons if she had been stuck with that color. The first to move was Dr. Jackson, as something about this girl felt familiar to him. Reaching into his pocket, the scientist withdrew a hypo similar to the ones used by the Jaffa who take Tretonin. Pressing the device against the girl's neck, Daniel injected the contents into her bloodstream.

"Come on… work…" he said quietly.

After a minute, the brunette started to stir. Mercury walked up next to Daniel, chewing on her lip. She had no idea how Jupiter would react to seeing a stranger over her. The brunette opened her eyes, a tired look forming on her face. Her emerald eyes instantly locked onto Daniel, and she blinked in confusion.

"Da… Danny?" She asked, which threw both Dr. Jackson and Mercury off. "Where am I? And… what are you doing here?"

Krystal nudged Pluto with her elbow, getting the Time Guardian's attention.

"Who's she?" the redhead asked as Jackson helped the newly awakened Scout to a sitting position.

"Sailor Jupiter," Pluto replied. Although Jackson could hear what was being said, he wasn't paying attention. There were very few people he knew that called him Danny. One was Jack O'Neill, and that was usually when the former team leader was being sarcastic. The other was a currently missing daughter of a friend he used to baby sit. After about a minute the brunette wrapped her arms around Daniel, drawing the scientist into a bear hug.

"I have got to be dreaming!" she exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in years! Mercury… you're here too?"

"Yea Jupiter. I'm here too," Mercury replied, resisting the urge to facepalm. "You might want to let Dr. Jackson go before you squeeze him to death."

"Sorry…" Jupiter replied meekly, releasing Daniel.

Things started to fall into place in Dr. Jackson's mind. If it was something left over from when he shared his brain with Merlin back during the Ori Crusade or something else, he didn't know. But the disguise ability of that pen the Scouts used fell apart and Daniel recognized the brunette as Lita. He pulled her into a hug.

"Oh god Lita," he said. "After I heard you disappeared…"

"Uh… Danny? You… you know who I am?"

Before Dr. Jackson could respond, Krystal cleared her throat. The brunette pulled away from her old friend and looked at the redhead in confusion. The new Scout just waved off the coming question by saying that she'd introduce herself, and the SG teams once everyone was awake.

Now that they knew that the cure worked, the teams from Earth got to work. As soon as Mila opened the pods, someone was there to administer the cure. After several close calls involving a revived Scout spotting one of the rebel Youma, most notably with Mars, the last pod was opened. Krystal stepped up to the blond, noting the rather unique hairstyle. Based on what she had read in the files provided by the Japanese Ambassador, this was Sailor Moon, leader of the team. Being military, Krystal wondered how good a leader she was before pressing the hypo to Moon's neck. Unlike the others, she didn't wake up after a minute. Instead, she just rolled over as if she was getting comfortable. Mitchell stepped up to the pod, a questioning look on his face. The resident redhead shrugged.

"Anybody home?" she asked the blond.

"Mmmmm…" came the reply. "Five more minutes Luna. Its not even a school day…"

Both Mitchell and Krystal facepalmed. Mitchell tried to shake her awake, only to have his had slapped away. Mercury saw the look on Krystal's face, and walked over to try and help.

"Ok… she's lazy," the redhead deadpanned. "Know anything I can use Merc?"

"Well…" Mercury replied as she adopted a thoughtful pose. "She does play video games, mostly at the Arcade. Don't really know what she plays at home."

"Well… there goes an idea about Metroids…"

Mercury snapped her fingers, then mentioned that Moon really, _really_ loved ice cream. After hearing that, Krystal got a devious look on her face. After standing back a bit from the sleeping woman, the new Scout of Earth spoke up loud enough for the blond to hear. Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Aw man… look at all this ice cream. I don't know how we will ever eat it all by ourselves."

"Ice cream?!" Moon was instantly sitting up, looking for mountains of her favorite frozen treat. Seeing that there wasn't any, she instantly started pouting. It took a minute for her brain to even register that she wasn't home, and that there were a lot of strangers present, one of which was wearing a Scout uniform. The others appeared to be military. American military. Along with…

Both Mercury and Krystal held her down before she could lunge at the rebel Youma. The blunette started explaining the situation, which caused the leader of the Scouts to get confused. It got even worse when she got to the part about Krystal and Stargate Command. By the time Mercury was done, the poor woman was so lost her mouth just hung there.

"Nice one Mercury," Jupiter replied. "You broke the Meatball Head. Again."

"And she's supposed to be the leader?" Krystal asked. "I'm not quitting my day job."

It took a while for Moon's brain to reboot after the information overload she received from Mercury. After she recovered, she instantly approached the green clad redhead, almost demanding she identify herself. Krystal fell back on her military training.

"Lt. Krystal Jade. United States Air Force, Stargate Command," she replied, throwing in a salute. Moon may not have been military, but she still showed some respect for someone who was supposed to be royalty. Even if it was hard to see.

"Why are you…" Moon started to ask.

"She is also Sailor Earth," Pluto cut in, drawing the attention of all the revived Scouts. They all looked at the redhead, who gave a nervous grin and a shrug in response. While the others started asking the Guardian of Time about Earth, Moon's brain once again shut down from confusion. Mercury took the opportunity to talk with Krystal.

"You ok?" she asked.

"Could be better," Krystal replied. The blunette finally asked about her sudden change in attitude. Krystal gave a sideways smile and said that she apparently had a talk with a Queen and herself, adding in the fact that she was still a bit confused over the whole thing herself.

"Maybe I just took a hit to the head or something," she finally said. "But… it was enough for me to realize that no matter what uniform I'm wearing, I'm still fighting for the same thing."

"To protect Earth."

"Yea."

"So… I guess you've accepted who you are?"

The redhead gave her blunette friend a devious smile.

"Yea," Earth said. "I guess I have."

* * *

Author's note: Oh yea... Things are heating up now! Not only have the Scouts been found and the SG teams are armed... our resident redhead has accepted who she is, and is more then ready to kick ass. All I can say is... it is on.

Now... before anyone complains about Jackson recognizing Lita... He did share his head with Merlin, an ascended being, at one point during the Ori Crusade. Not only that... Jackson was an ascended being himself at one point as well. That's bound to leave something behind, even if its just how he sees things.

Behind the scenes note: The _original_ idea to wake Sailor Moon up was to throw something soft on her, like some sort of pillow, and yell something about a Metroid attack. Cue Moon freaking out and falling on the floor. Also... at this point, Meatball Head is pretty much a nickname most of the Scouts use in certain situations by this point in the new SG-1/Sailor Moon timeline. As the presence of Lita's mom being in the background in this timeline contradicts established facts... this timeline is _almost_ the same as the canon one, just with a few _minor_ changes as well as... well... the Stargate. Don't expect Mrs. Kino to be a major character though. She will remain in the background for this story, and any sequels that may come about. Any more questions you guys have, please feel free to ask.

Next time on _Stargate SG-1_: **_Never_** piss off the Tau'ri.


	12. United Offensive

Author's note: Pull out your Battle Music peeps! Because the Battle of Kentaris has begun. Some of you may have been wondering why the _Odyssey_ didn't get involved before now. Well... if the Youma knew about her, they'd be able to prepare for what's coming. The SG teams didn't want to show all their cards until the time was right. And the time... is now.

Just hope I did the Scouts some justice.

Also... the songs brought up are _I Just Came Back from a Wa_r by Darryl Worley and _For You_ by Kieth Urban.

* * *

Chapter 12

United Offensive

"Colonel, We just got word from Colonel Mitchell. The Scouts have been located. They plan to launch an attack on an enemy Command and Control Asset."

Samantha Carter closed her eyes for a moment. This was it. When she opened her eyes again, a determined look formed on her face.

"Battlestations," she ordered. "Launch 302s. Prepare to take us into the atmosphere."

A string of affirmatives came in response, as well as an alert klaxon going off as the _USS Odyssey_ prepared to enter battle.

The hanger doors on either side of the massive vessel opened up, and several fighters shot out into space. Although similar in appearance to Goa'uld Death Gliders, these birds were purely human built and a bit bigger. The F-302s formed up and charged down into the atmosphere of Kentaris, eager to support the teams on the ground and to once again prove why the Tau'ri, as most of the galaxy knew the Humans from Earth as, were not to be pissed off.

* * *

Sentry duty. The most boring job on all of Kentaris that a Youma could get. After dealing with those alien invaders years ago, no one came to this planet. Yet it was pretty much mandatory that sentries were posted on the perimeter of the city to watch for anything coming in case the sensor grid couldn't detect them or it was down for maintenance, like it was today.

"Will you be quiet. I'm trying to sleep here."

"I'm not doing anything."

"Then what's making that noise?"

The Youma who was trying to sleep growled as she got out of her seat and walked over to the edge of the platform, as her partner was too busy to respond. It wasn't long before the reason for her lack of response was clear, as the observation post was soon buffeted by sonic booms from passing aircraft. She managed to get a glimpse of one of the bat-winged craft, noting the USAF and SGC markings on the wings.

"Um… should we report this?"

"I have no idea how to even begin to describe this…"

* * *

_"Diamond, I got what looks like some Triple-A mounted on some of the higher towers."_

"Lock and Load Wildcards," Major Alicia "Diamond" Vickers said, attaching the mask over her face. "Lets go introduce ourselves. Spade, Hot Dog, take out some of that Triple-A. Everyone else… light 'em up! Lets see if we can't pull some heat off the ground teams before it starts."

_"YEEHAW!"_

A predatory grin formed under Vickers' mask as her wingman broke left and shredded an Anti-Air turret with railgun fire. Vickers was a veteran pilot, having taken part in several battles against the Lucian Alliance, and even took part in the battle against the Wraith Superhive above Earth. She knew her bird, able to make it dance even in an atmosphere. Now… zipping through an alien city, Vickers had one thought going through her head.

_Now THIS is Pod Racing!_

* * *

Mercury looked up at the sound of something exploding above them. Several fighters shot overhead, destroying anything that would pose a threat. It wasn't long before bolts of energy started lancing out to try and swat the F-302s out of the sky.

_"Sierra Gulf One, this is Wildcard Leader,"_ a female voice came over the radio. "_We engaged enemy forces."_

"We can see that Wildcard One," Mitchell replied. "Give 'em Hell."

_"You too SG-1. Good luck down there. Wildcard One out."_

Mitchell turned his attention to the SG teams, the Scouts, and the Rebel Youma. His gaze settled on Earth for a minute. The redhead had a determined look on her face.

"Alright, our primary objective is to find whatever they're using to bypass Earth's defenses and shut it down. Permanently. We'll stick together until we reach the central tower, then split into teams. Two Scouts per team, and that includes the Youma Rebels," Mitchell said. "Since the Scouts aren't at full strength, they will provide fire support. Do not engage directly unless you have to."

"Colonel Mitchell, we can take care of ourselves…" Moon started to protest, before getting slapped upside the head by Pluto.

"He's right. The only Scouts at full strength are myself, Mercury, and Earth," the Time Guardian countered.

As this was going on, Earth looked out at the tower. Odds are, that was where Alti was. She knew that this was never going to end until Alti was dealt with. Even if they destroyed the portal generator, or whatever the Youma used, it would only be a matter of time before they either repaired or rebuilt it. And then… all out war fought in the streets of Earth's cities and exposure of the Stargate Program. If this conflict was going to end, it had to be here on Kentaris. Today.

A hand came to rest on Earth's shoulder, and the redhead turned to see her old CO Colonel Reynolds. She had a feeling that he knew what was going through her head.

"You up for this lieutenant?" he asked.

"I won't back down sir," she replied.

"I always had a feeling you were different Jade. I just never knew how right I was."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Watch your back when we get there," Reynolds finished before turning to check on his team. Earth had a confused look on her face for a minute before shaking her head. She had to focus on the mission at hand. Slinging her M-4 over her shoulder, Earth took a deep breath.

"Don't think I'd ever get used to seeing a Scout with a gun."

Earth rolled her eyes before turning to see who was talking to her. It was the brunette. Jupiter, she remembered Mercury call her that. Earth had a feeling that she'd get along pretty well with her.

"Do what you can with what you got," Earth replied.

"_Tremors 2_," Jupiter laughed. "That was a pretty good movie."

"Yea it was," Earth agreed.

"Anyways… Thanks for coming to get us."

"Anytime."

Both Scouts looked over at everyone. It was strange to see a combination of military personnel, girls in skirts, and Youma. Earth closed her eyes, a few lines from a song she heard going through her head.

_I just came back from a place where they hated me… and everything I stand for…_

This was more than the Scouts have ever faced before, that much was certain to the rookie Scout. This wasn't a skirmish in the streets of Tokyo. This was war. Again… some lines from another song went through her head and she found herself singing them quietly.

"_And I wonder, would I give my life  
Could I make that sacrifice  
If it came down to it  
Could I take the bullet, I would  
Yes I would, for you"_

"That was different."

Earth opened her eyes, then mentally kicked herself for forgetting Jupiter was right next to her. Trying to brush it off, Earth explained that she listened to a lot of music. Jupiter just smiled and put a hand on the redhead's shoulder. It wasn't just a reassuring smile either, it was a knowing one. The moment was shattered when Mitchell called for them to move out.

* * *

Alti watched as the human fighters harassed the city's defenses, a look of contempt on her face. Instead of fighting the humans on Earth, they brought the battle here to Kentaris. An unexpected turn of events. And on top of that, she just received word that the captured humans have escaped, along with the Scouts. The thing that bothered her was how. She knew there were rebel elements, but she hadn't been able to get a lead on them. Alti brushed some of her black hair out of her face. If the humans wanted a war, they were going to get one.

"Menardi," she called out, turning to face one of the Youma present in the Command Center. "Drive these insects off our planet."

"Commander, the sensor grid is back online and we're picking up something entering the atmosphere!"

Alti whipped around to look out the window again, wondering what was coming now.

* * *

"We're on course for the city center Colonel," the helmsman reported.

"Steady as she goes," Carter ordered. "All batteries, stand by. As soon as we're by the Central Tower, we'll hold position."

The massive bulk of the Daedalus class battlecruiser rumbled over the city, drawing fire from the anti air weapons. Her shields flared several times before railgun fire dealt with the offending emplacements. It wasn't long before the _USS Odyssey_ was in position.

"SG-1, this is _Odyssey_," Carter called out over the radio. "We got their attention. Give' em hell."

_"Copy that Sam. We're already on the move."_

"We'll save some for you Cam. Good luck."

* * *

Earth looked up at the _Odyssey_ as it settled into position next to the Central Tower. It was the first time she actually saw one of their battlecruisers from the outside, and was in awe. The Scouts, not counting Mercury and Pluto, were baffled that the US military was even capable of building such a thing.

"Alright ladies, we got a job to do," Major Altman said, getting everyone's attention. Moon gave the marine a death glare for a minute, causing Mercury to facepalm.

"The Major's right," Earth spoke up. "Lets focus on what we're here to do. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we go home."

"Well said lieutenant," Mitchell replied, checking his P90.

Earth looked around at everyone present. The SG teams were ready to go. The Scouts had determined looks on their faces. The Rebel Youma… Earth wasn't exactly sure about them. The one thing that they all shared was a desire to see this conflict end. Looking out towards the Central Tower, Earth bit her lip. There was little cover between them and the base of the tower. Hopefully… the presence of the _Odyssey_ would distract any defenders long enough for them to get across. Tightening her grip on her M-4, Earth took a deep breath. Mitchell held up a hand, and everyone tensed up. The hand dropped, and everyone charged as fast as they could.

Their presence didn't go unnoticed, as the Youma unleashed volleys of energy at them. Most of the attacks missed, but a few scored hits on the rebels. Most just stumbled but kept going, but a few fell and were instantly destroyed by sustained fire. The survivors made it to the base of the tower, and Earth plowed through one of the doors, shoulder first. They filed in, intent on using the building for cover.

"Colonel," Major Altman called out. "This area's a good hold point."

"Major, we still…" Mitchell was cut off as Venus spoke up.

"He's right," she pointed out, gesturing at the lobby. "You guys can set up a crossfire here. It's a choke point. They'll have to come through those doors."

"What about the Command and Control center?" Reynolds asked.

"I think Murphy's working overtime," Earth replied. "I'll go on ahead."

"Not alone you're not."

All eyes turned to the resident Meatball Head. Her arms were crossed over her chest. Earth protested, but was cut off when Moon said that they were a team. Mercury looked over at Mitchell, who shrugged in response. For a couple minutes, Earth and Moon went back and forth before Pluto finally had enough.

"QUIET! BOTH OF YOU!"

Everyone, including the SG teams, blinked in surprise and looked at the green haired Scout.

"Now… Earth will proceed into the tower," she said. "But not alone. Moon and the rest of the Inner Scouts will go with her. Shura, can you spare some of your people?"

The Rebel leader nodded, then motioned for three Youma to stand over by the redhead.

"The Outer Scouts will remain here with the SG Teams to hold the Youma here. Colonel Mitchell, I will defer to your tactical experience."

"Altman. Set up a few Claymores near the entrance. Reynolds, You and your boys set up over here. Teal'c, Jackson, with me. Um… Blondie… you set up there…"

As the SG Teams and Outer Scouts went about digging in, Shura briefed the Inner Scouts on what they might encounter as they go up through the tower. Most of it sounded like standard patrols and a few checkpoints to Earth. After the briefing, the resident redhead approached Mitchell.

"Cam," she spoke up. "Can I borrow your knife?"

"Any particular reason lieutenant?"

"Lost mine."

With a lopsided grin, Mitchell pulled out his combat knife and held it out to her. She took hold, but he didn't let go.

"Be careful lieutenant," he said.

"I will sir," she replied. Mitchell finally let go, and Earth "Pocketed" the knife. Turning to face the Scouts, she took a deep breath. It was going to be interesting working with them. Especially since she wasn't familiar with their capabilities. Jupiter actually cracked her knuckles in anticipation. The raven-haired woman, Mars, took a moment to center herself while the two blonds of the group looked anxious. Mercury walked over to Earth and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You ready?" she asked.

"Lets rock and roll," Earth replied.

With that, the strike team moved out, with the rookie taking point.

* * *

"Shields holding at eighty percent!"

The _Odyssey_ rocked as another volley of energy slammed into her shields. Although the Wildcards were doing a good job of taking down the Anti Air emplacements, there were still plenty of them around to hammer the Tau'ri vessel. Sparks flew from a console near the back of the bridge as Carter swore under her breath.

"What's the status of the ground teams?" she asked.

"They've made it into the tower," came the reply. "Minimal casualties. Colonel Mitchell reports that they're dug in while a smaller strike team proceeds up the tower."

_"_Odyssey_, this is Wildcard Leader. We got bandits bearing down on you, bearing 1-2-0. Looks like you pissed them off big time."_

"Copy that Diamond," Carter replied. "We've got them on sensors. See what you can do about them."

_"Roger that _Odyssey_. Wildcards! Shoot n' Scoot!"_

"Lieutenant, reroute power to the shields," Carter ordered. "We're not going anywhere."

* * *

Earth cringed as an energy bolt slammed into the corner she was using for cover. They had managed a few floors before getting pinned down by enemy fire. It was obvious that despite the attitudes the other Scouts were still not at full power, with Mercury being the exception. The blunette launched a volley of ice shards, almost hitting one of their assailants. Jupiter growled under her breath as one of her attacks only succeeded in spinning one around. Mars was having better luck, having managed to knock one over completely with a fireball. The green clad Scout swung out from cover long enough to spray the corridor with a short burst of full auto fire.

"Earth," Moon called out, blasting a wall near one of their attackers. "Why aren't you…"

"Don't know how!" Earth replied, again popping out of cover to open fire. After a short burst, her rifle clicked empty. She swore under her breath. "I'm out. Reloading."

With a practiced hand, the redhead ejected the empty magazine and slid a fresh one into place. Before she could prime the weapon, Venus took it form her.

"Hey!"

"This thing will only work for so long Earth," Venus countered the redhead's protest. She then said that if they were going to get any farther, she'd have to learn how to use her abilities.

"Is this really a good time for a Force Training Session?" Earth asked just as Jupiter unleashed another lightning bolt.

"No, but you're going to run out of bullets eventually," Venus replied. "Then what will you do?"

Earth rolled her eyes. She hated to admit it, but the blond had a point. Trading places with Moon so that she wasn't in immediate danger of getting shot, Earth relented. Venus told her to close her eyes and focus. For a moment, the redhead felt stupid doing it, especially in the middle of a firefight. With the battle raging, it was difficult at first. She did her best to tune them out. It was then that she felt something. Almost like a warm energy inside her. Reporting this feeling, Venus told her to go for it. Without knowing how to, Earth just pictured herself grabbing it. Her hands seemed to move on their own for a second before a ball of golden yellow energy formed between them. It was small at first, but after a minute it grew.

"Earth… open your eyes."

The redhead did so, and saw what she had created.

"This… is so cool…"

"USE SOME HELP OVER HERE!" Jupiter yelled, barely avoiding an attack.

They were surprised the Scouts hadn't blasted through their position yet. The Youma actually had them pinned. On top of that, the armed human had stopped firing on them as well. They were about to press their advantage when the unexpected happened. One of the Scouts had actually come out from cover. But what confused them was the fact that they didn't recognize which one it was. What scared them was not only the fact that she had this evil grin on her face, she also happened to have a basketball sized energy orb in her hands.

"PHOTON BLAST!"

The energy ball came flying at them.

_KABOOM!_

"STERIKE!" Earth exclaimed, pumping a fist into the air as the enemy Youma were bowled over by her attack. Taking advantage of the situation, the remaining Scouts charged, unleashing their own attacks to finish off the survivors. Venus turned, and tossed the rifle back to the redhead.

"Nice one Earth," she said. "You need to work on your aim though."

"Give me a break!" Earth replied. "That was my first time Bowling for Youma!"

* * *

Mitchell swore as he took cover. The Youma were trying to break through. They already tripped the Claymores and were now trying to push into the lobby. Those that got through the onslaught of bullets from the SG teams were cut down by one of the remaining Scouts. The woman with the mirror, Mitchell couldn't remember her name, seemed to be fairing better than the shorthaired blond with the sword. The one called Saturn seemed to offset her weakened state with sheer skill with her weapon. Mitchell was actually surprised at Saturn's grace with the pole arm.

_"Sierra Gulf One Niner, this is… Sierra Echo. We're proceeding to the objective."_

Mitchell reached for his radio. The voice was definitely Jade's, but he figured that the new callsign was thought up on the spot, referencing her status as Sailor Earth.

"Copy that Echo," he replied. "We're getting hammered down here, but we're holding. Team status?"

_"Sierras Ice, Sparky, and Pyro are still raring to go. Sparky's not happy with being nerfed though. Sierra Meatball is…"_

_ "You're having fun aren't you Earth."_

_ "MY RADIO! NO TOUCHY! As I was saying… Sierra Meatball is actually a decent leader. Could use some more combat experience, but she's got potential."_

_ "Wait… what's Sierra Meatball mean?"_

_ "Probably her way of calling you Meatball Head."_

"And Venus?"

_"She jacked my gun for a few minutes."_

_ "She needed to learn how to use her abilities before she ran out of bullets."_

_ "I SAID NO TOUCHY!"_

Mitchell couldn't help but laugh at the radio antics of the resident rookie and the Scouts. At least spirits were high.

"Copy that Sierra Echo. Report back when you've secured the objective."

_"Understood. Sierra Echo…"_

_ "MARS! Stop being mean!"_

_ "Cam… I swear… they're gonna drive me insane."_

"Good luck lieutenant. Sierra Gulf One out."

Pluto overheard the conversation over the radio, and smiled. It seemed like Earth was getting along just fine with the Inner Scouts. Or… as well as can be expected when you're thrown headfirst into a situation. She didn't have much time to think about it before the next wave of Youma rushed them.

* * *

Author's Note: I know I didn't go into detail over the Scouts reactions to seeing the _Odyssey_, but when you're in the middle of a warzone...

Just wait until Moon sees the Stargate. ^^

Behind the Scenes Note: This chapter was actually the inspiration of the name of the Story! Also, the callsigns Earth came up for Sailors Moon, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter was fun. _ESPECIALLY_ Moon's callsign. Couldn't think of anything for Venus though. Feel free to suggest callsigns for the remaining Scouts. I'd love to hear some ideas.

Next time on _Stargate SG-1_: The horror of war. Two enter... One leaves.


	13. Welcome to Thunder Dome

Author's Note: This chapter brought to you by 2 particular pieces of music:

Battle at the Pyramid - Stargate OST  
Divine Intervention - Universe at War: Earth Assault soundtrack

Translation: That's what I listened to while writing this chapter. Anyways... Boss fight!

* * *

Chapter 13

Welcome to ThunderDome

How anyone can run full tilt in heels, Earth didn't know. Even her own boots had a bit of a heel on them. But it didn't feel like it to her, and frankly… she wasn't going to argue. They were over half way up the tower when they came across what looked like a conference room. Outside the windows was a good view of the side of the _Odyssey_. "Just how high up are we?" Jupiter asked.

"Good question," Earth replied, watching as an F-302 actually shot passed the window. It had rolled up onto its starboard wing, giving the Scouts a quick glimpse of the Interceptor's dorsal profile. Shaking her head, Earth decided to move on.

* * *

Alti growled under her breath as she looked down at the Human vessel. It was hovering above the city, but the Central Tower was taller than everything else. On top of that, several checkpoints within the tower had gone silent. Menardi had been dismissed to take command of the forces attempting to deal with the blasted humans that had dug in on the ground floor. The way they were fighting, it was almost like…

Again, Alti growled. A strike team. It had to be. That would explain why the checkpoints weren't responding. If she was right, the strike team was heading right for her. Drawing her katana, Alti took a moment to wipe the neutronium blade with a rag. If they wanted a fight, she would give them one. She had gained more than a keen tactical mind while Beryl was in charge. She learned how to channel energy into attacks similar to those of the Youma.

Something was bothering her though. The green Scout she had thrown off that building. Something about her seemed familiar. She felt the same thing back when she killed her ten thousand years ago. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the blade cut through the rag and bite into her hand. Swearing, Alti took the rag and wrapped it around her wound. It was only a flesh wound, but still…

"Fight all you want humans," she said coldly. "You'll just prolong the inevitable."

* * *

Mercury swore. They found an elevator that they figured would lead to the Command Center, but it was guarded. Not only that, they actually had a few Youma come up behind them. The Rebels that had come with them were pinned down a couple floors below them, holding off another group. Moon was trying to talk tactics with Venus. So far no luck. Mars and Jupiter were doing Rock, Paper, Scissors over something. Finally… Mars won, causing Jupiter to groan. Earth asked what was going on.

"I'm the bait…" the brunette moaned.

"Bait for what?" Earth asked.

"Jupiter's going to draw fire, hopefully pulling the Youma out from cover," Mars explained.

"So… in MMO terms… Jupiter's the Tank, who will draw agro, while the rest of us DPS these guys."

Most of the Scouts gave the redhead a blank stare. Venus finally nodded, having caught on to the plan that Mars and Jupiter cooked up.

"Only thing missing is a healer," she said sarcastically, causing Earth to laugh. They had something resembling a plan now. Earth checked her rifle before getting into position. Mercury took a deep breath, hoping that the plan would work while wishing they had a Plan B.

Jupiter took a moment to prepare as they got ready. The plan was simple, the bait, in this case Jupiter, would jump out and throw an attack down the corridor to get the attention of the defenders. As soon as she got their attention, she would run away from them, hopefully drawing them out to chase her. The others would be waiting in ambush, ready to strike them from behind as soon as they passed. With a nod from everyone to verify they were set, Jupiter jumped out and attacked.

The response was almost immediate. Various forms of energy shot back towards the brunette before Jupiter turned to run. To everyone's surprise, the Youma charged and ran passed the hidden Scouts. Mercury was the first to strike, unleashing a devastating barrage of ice shards into their backs. Mars followed up with her firepower while Earth decided to check for stragglers.

"Not bad," Earth said to Mercury. "Only two left from what I can see."

"And they know we're here," Mercury replied.

As soon as Jupiter returned, Moon prepared to move in on the Elevator. That is… before Earth held up a hand.

"We are coming in to take that elevator! You're outnumbered and outgunned! Stand down!" she yelled. The response was confusing, but they could tell that one of the remaining Youma was actually scared.

"You… you'll have to give me your authorization password!"

Earth muttered something about the movie _Serenity_, before snapping her rifle up and firing off a short burst over their heads.

"O… ok!"

Rolling her eyes, Earth moved out from cover and started towards the elevator. The other Scouts looked at each other and shrugged before following the rookie. They soon found something unexpected. The Youma who had stayed behind appeared to be younger than those that they attacked. At least… younger by human standards. Both were looking up at the Scouts in fear, one of them actually saying something along the lines of "Senshi monsters". Earth lowered her weapon and sighed. Mercury kneeled down so that she was at eye level with them, as they were sitting on the ground with their backs against the wall. They recoiled when the blunette reached over to examine one of them. Apparently Jupiter's attack had actually scored a hit, as the Youma had an electrical burn on her shoulder.

It was clear to the resident redhead that there was still a lot that they didn't know about the Youma. From what Mercury had said on the way to Kentaris, it sounded like they were just a race of inter dimensional beings, along the lines of demons, who thrived on destruction. Now… she wasn't so sure. Before meeting Shura, Earth was positive that every Youma on the planet was an enemy. Now she knew that wasn't the case. She couldn't bring herself to even _aim_ her rifle at these two. They were people, just like those back home. Looking at the others, Earth could tell that the same thoughts were going through their minds as well. And it was more of a shocker to them since they were so used to fighting Youma to protect the Earth.

Mercury did her best to appear non-threatening as she tried to examine the injured Youma. The other one pulled out a knife, but was instantly disarmed by Mars. After some convincing, the Youma allowed Mercury to get a better look at the injury.

"You're lucky that wasn't a full power hit," she said as she used what she had to try and treat the burn. "There isn't much I can do now, but you should be ok long enough to get medical help."

"Why are you helping us?" the injured Youma asked. "Senshi attack Youma."

"We only attack to defend our home," Moon replied. The way she spoke conveyed a strong determination, a complete contrast to the awkward blond she appeared to be. "We never harm the innocent."

Earth closed her eyes. This was just a taste of what was to come if Alti wasn't stopped. Taking a deep breath, she turned towards the elevator. The others noticed her move, and were about to follow when the redhead held up a hand.

"Take care of those two," she said. "Make sure they get out if possible."

"Where are you going Earth?" Venus asked.

"This war has to end," Earth replied, turning to face them. "We can't let this go on any longer. Its not just humans who will suffer, it's the Youma as well. They aren't who we thought they were!"

The Scouts looked at each other, knowing she was right. Moon stepped forward and said that they would finish it. Earth waved her off, stating that she had a feeling this was her fight.

"I… I appreciate the help guys, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to stand with you. But… this is something I have to do myself. I… guess you could say I have some unfinished business with Alti."

"We're a team!" Moon countered. "We can face this together!"

Earth just looked the blond in the eye. In that moment, Moon knew that there was no talking her out of it. Turning away, the redhead pushed a button to open the elevator. It was obvious that she felt as though the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

"If I'm not back in five minutes," Earth said, then gave a lopsided grin. "Send a chocolate cream pie after me."

With that… the doors closed.

* * *

"Reloading!" Mitchell called out as he pulled the empty magazine from his P90. It seemed as though the Youma were coming in waves. Slapping a fresh mag home, he wondered what was taking Jade and the Scouts so long. Luckily, they could easily get supplies from the _Odyssey_.

_"SG-1, this is Mercury."_

"Read you loud and clear. What's your status?" Mitchell responded, wondering why Jade wasn't on the line.

_"We're ok. Hit a few roadblocks but we managed to push through."_

"You take the Command and Control Asset yet?"

_"Well… no. Earth just went up."_

Mitchell blinked, noting the hesitation in the blunette's voice. He asked for verification, and got it. Jade went in alone. He was about to try and get a hold of her when another wave of Youma attacked their position.

"Understood," he said, unleashing a barrage of full auto fire. "We're getting hit hard down here. You'd better hurry it up!"

"Colonel Mitchell! They are retreating!"

Mitchell blinked in surprise. Teal'c was right. There weren't many reasons why you'd pull back in the middle of a battle. One of which was…

"Oh shit… INCOMMING!"

The warning came just in time as a volley of rockets started to pummel their position. Saturn growled before rushing out into the middle of the lobby. Jackson tried to stop her, but wasn't fast enough. To their surprise, Saturn took her Glaive and slammed it into the ground just like Gandalf from _Lord of the Rings_. The rockets suddenly started detonating just outside the door as a barrier appeared. It was obvious that it was taking some effort to maintain the barrier, but Mitchell was glad for the reprieve.

"I do not know how much longer we can hold this position Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c said as he reloaded his weapon.

"We'll hold as long as we have to," Major Altman replied.

* * *

It felt like it was taking forever. Earth sighed as she prepared herself for the coming fight.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," she said. "I'm no hero."

The elevator finally came to a stop. Taking a deep breath, Earth raised her rifle and stepped out as soon as the doors opened. It looked like the Command Center was empty, which was odd. Finally… she saw her. It was hard to miss the raven-haired woman standing by the window, looking out over the city. Her hand was resting on the hilt of her sword, and Earth knew that she had been waiting. The barrel of the M-4 swung over to point at her.

"Stand down Alti," Earth spoke up. "You got nowhere to go. Its over."

Alti turned, and actually looked shocked.

"You?" she asked. "Didn't I kill you already?"

"Guess you could say I'm worse than a New York cockroach."

Alti just sized her up as she stepped away from the large window. Her hand didn't move from the hilt. Earth narrowed her eyes as she maintained her aim on the leader of the Youma. Alti finally stopped in the middle of the Command Center.

"Interesting that you are here alone," she said. "I just heard that you managed to free the others, yet they are not here."

"Oh they will be," Earth shot back. "I just wanted a chance to confront you again."

"Honestly… do you believe that you can defeat me?"

"Cliché taunting. That's original."

"I suppose not, but what do you expect me to say?"

Earth tightened her grip on her rifle.

"It doesn't have to end like this Alti. Think about your people."

"I AM!" Alti yelled. "As long as Earth remains, the Youma will never know peace."

"You're not a Youma Alti!" Earth countered. "You're Alteran!"

"DON'T TALK TO ME AS IF YOU KNOW ME!" Alti shouted, catching Earth off guard. "I know where my loyalties lie."

Earth sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. Any chance of ending this peacefully gone down the drain. Opening her eyes, Earth stood her ground. She knew her duty. Countless lives were counting on her. And this time… she had no intention of losing.

"Then I guess we're done talking," she said, her finger lightly touching the trigger. Alti adjusted her stance, right hand going for her sword.

"I hope you fight better than you did last time, green Scout," Alti said coldly. "Wouldn't be any fun to just brush you aside again."

Suddenly, Alti threw her left hand out towards Earth, sending a bolt of dark energy towards her. Reacting instantly, the redhead jumped out of the way. It was enough of a distraction for Alti to charge, drawing her sword at the last second in an attempt to catch the green clad Scout off guard. Seeing the glint of light off her blade, Earth swung her rifle down to block out of reflex, and was thrown off balance as the neutronium blade sliced right through the weapon. Alti followed up with a quick punch, knocking Earth back. Earth ducked under the next attack, and struck with a palm strike into her face. The force of the blow knocked Alti back enough for Earth to get her bearings. They started circling each other, trying to look for an opening. Earth knew she didn't have a chance as long as the sword was in play, but getting it away from Alti was going to be a problem.

"I guess you do have _some_ skill…" Alti taunted, adjusting her grip on her sword.

"I'm just full of surprises," Earth retorted.

"Still not going to save you… Krystal Jade," Alti taunted, remembering her name.

Earth's expression turned dark as they continued with the standoff. Alti saw the change in her and smiled.

"Earth _will_ fall," Alti said, bringing the tip of her blade up to point at the redhead. "You're only delaying it."

"Not gonna happen," Earth shot back.

"Just who do you think you are Krystal Jade?"

"I don't think. I know."

"Oh really?"

Earth gave her opponent a smile. "I _am_ Sailor Earth."

With that, both combatants charged.

* * *

"Oh come ON!"

Jupiter was getting impatient as the elevator went up. It had been over five minutes, and Earth hadn't come back. Moon decided to go and help, even though Mercury pointed out that they were still not fully recovered. But to tell the truth… the blunette wanted to help just as much as the others did. The only one who didn't show any visible concern was Mars. The dark haired fire starter was leaning against the back wall of the elevator with her eyes closed, preparing herself for the upcoming fight.

The elevator slowed, and the Scouts tensed up. Mars opened her eyes, already preparing an attack. They finally came to a stop and the doors opened. Jumping out, the Scouts prepared for anything. Moon even went so far as to prepare her usual speech, only to get cut off by the sight of Earth and Alti locked in hand-to-hand combat. Alti actually managed to knock Earth back and tried to slash her with her sword. The redhead jumped back, barely avoiding the blade before she plowed into her opponent, throwing them both off balance and towards…

"EARTH!" Mercury yelled in shock.

They broke through the window and fell.

* * *

More sparks flew as the _Odyssey_ was buffeted by another barrage of anti air fire.

"Shields fluctuating!" came the report from one of the officers. Carter held onto the arm of her chair as they weathered the storm. The Wildcards were trying their best to take out the turrets, but they were pretty much up against an entire city here. Xena had made herself useful and was watching a console herself, looking for anything they could use to help stop the firestorm.

"Rotate Shield harmonics to compensate!" Carter ordered. Another impact, and a console in the back actually exploded, throwing an unlucky airman back.

"Shields at sixty percent!" Xena called out. "They're totally ignoring the fighters and going for us!"

* * *

Falling from another tall building was not exactly something Earth had planned on. Pushing off from Alti, the redhead looked down and saw the bulk of the _Odyssey_ flying up to meet them, her shields flaring with each hit from the city's defense grid.

"Oh shi…" was all she got out before she passed through the shields and slammed into the hull. Managing a clumsy roll to absorb some of the impact, Earth staggered to her feet. Alti was doing the same, picking up her sword in the process. Again, the raven-haired woman pointed her blade at the redhead. It seemed as though she wasn't finished yet. Taking up a defensive posture, Earth prepared herself for round two. It wasn't a long wait as Alti charged.

* * *

They ran up to the remains of the window and looked down. The Scouts knew that even they couldn't survive a fall from this high up. Mercury closed her eyes, fearing the worst. She and Earth had become fast friends. And now…

"LOOK!"

Opening her eyes, Mercury saw what Venus was pointing at. A very obvious green spot on the _Odyssey_. And the green spot was moving. There was also a black spot on the hull. Mercury started biting her lip, wondering what to do.

As they watched the _Odyssey_ get buffeted by a firestorm of attacks, the battlecruiser started moving. It was clear that they planned to disengage in order to repair, but with Earth on the hull…

Mercury all but slapped her communicator.

"_Odyssey_, this is Mercury. Hold position! Earth is on the hull. I repeat, Earth is on the hull!"

_"Say again Mercury?"_ Carter's voice came over the channel. _"We have to disengage!"_

"Negative! Krystal is on the hull! You move, and she'll fall!"

_"Damn. Reroute everything we have to the shields!"_

* * *

Earth pushed herself back to her feet. There were no inertial dampeners on the outside of the ship. When the _Odyssey_ started to move, both Earth and Alti fell over. Taking advantage of the situation, Earth charged at her still recovering opponent. Alti saw her coming and swung her blade at an upward angle. Knocking the blade up and away with her wrist guard, Earth landed a kick to Alti's face. The commander rolled back, using the momentum to get back to her feet. It wasn't long before they got into a pattern of block, strike, dodge. Earth was starting to figure out Alti's style and was adjusting her attacks accordingly. For several minutes, the pair were locked in combat when suddenly Alti snuck in a sucker punch. Earth recoiled from the strike and fully expected to feel the bite of her blade at any second.

It never came.

Alti put some distance between her and Earth, her left hand raised a bit to the right of her head. She knew Earth was figuring her out, and decided to change the rules. Dark violet energy formed in her hand.

"NEUTRON SURGE!" she called out, throwing the ball of death. Earth spun out of the way. Wishing she had more practice with her own abilities, especially in an active combat situation instead of from behind cover like last time, Earth tried to summon another ball of energy. So far the best she got was a baseball-sized dud. Dodging multiple attacks, Earth was thrown on the defensive. Several more energy bolts later, and she finally had enough. Skidding to a halt, Earth reached inside of herself and managed to summon another basketball-sized ball of energy.

"NEUTRON…"

"PHOTON…"

"SURGE!"

"BLAST!"

The two attacks flew true and collided between them, exploding on impact. A cloud of smoke formed between them, obscuring their view of each other. Earth summoned another energy orb and waited. Alti came charging through, causing the green clad Scout to launch her attack out of reflex. The ball of light went wild, totally missing Alti and hit the tower. Alti's blade came down, and Earth caught it with her wrist guard. Just like before, the blade managed to bite into her arm, but the material took the brunt of it.

Alti gave the redhead a dark smile before she kicked Earth in the stomach and blasting her point blank with another Neutron Surge. The redhead skidded across the hull before coming to a rest near the edge.

"Now to finish you," Alti growled as red energy formed around her sword.

"RED MATTER IMPLOSION!"

* * *

The _Odyssey_ shook violently.

"Report!" Carter ordered.

* * *

"Is that…" Mars trailed off. Mercury activated her visor and scanned the anomaly.

"My god… its… a Black Hole…"

* * *

Earth screamed as she held on to the edge of the hull. The Black Hole was trying to pull her in. Various words were said that were definitely _not_ Scout like while this was going on. In fact… pretty much every swear word in the English language was being thrown out right now. Even through all of this, Alti laughed.

For a moment, time slowed down. Earth had a flashback to when she was Kayla, and how she had destroyed the Dark Kingdom ships. A desperate plan formed in her mind. It was insane, and odds were if she survived, it would hurt like hell.

_Please let this work…_ she thought as she prepared herself. Taking a deep breath, Earth let go.

* * *

The Scouts watched in horror as their new friend flew into the Black Hole.

* * *

Again, the _Odyssey_ rocked violently.

"HULL BREACH!"

"Seal off the area!" Carter ordered.

* * *

The dust settled from the massive explosion. Alti lowered her hand and saw that the Black Hole she had created had been sealed. What was left was a gaping hole in the hull of the ship. There was no sign of Sailor Earth anywhere. Alti looked up into the sky and laughed.

* * *

"KRYSTAL!" Mercury screamed. Her friend was gone. The others had no idea what to say or do. They had never lost one of their own before and were in a state of disbelief.

* * *

A large piece of the bulkhead moved. It was as if someone was underneath the debris. Finally, it fell over, revealing a battered Earth. Her Scout uniform was almost shredded and the skirt was in tatters.

"Oh god… that hurt…" she groaned as she pulled herself onto her feet. Looking up, she saw that she was actually inside the _Odyssey_. A rather large hole was above her.

"That's coming out of my pay…" she muttered. But the plan had worked. Back during the war between the Lunarians and the Dark Kingdom, Kayla had used a powerful attack she called Terra Blade to destabilize the main reactors aboard the warships she boarded. It was a Hail Mary for sure… but it worked. Climbing the debris, Earth pushed herself up and back out into the sunlight.

Alti was basking in her victory. Once again, she had killed a Scout. What she didn't see was a hand reach out from the hole behind her and grab onto the hull.

"Sailor Earth… well… I guess its only fitting that your world should fall after you," Alti said. "Now… to prepare for Invasion…"

"Not on my watch."

Alti spun around, shock registering on her face. How was it possible? But sure enough, there was Earth. It looked like she went through hell. Her outfit was shredded and her hair had come loose from the ponytail she had it in before.

Earth pulled out the combat knife she borrowed from Cam and reversed her grip. Alti charged, almost blinded by the fact that her victory was taken away from her. Earth sidestepped and brought her knife up, slashing Alti across the cheek. Screaming in rage, Alti struck again. Unlike before, her attacks were more wild and uncoordinated. She was fighting angry, not fighting smart. Earth again caught Alti's blade with her wrist guard. She was drained, but the redhead wasn't blindly lashing out in rage.

"Alti," she said. "I'm gonna let you in on a little secret."

"Frak you!" Alti spat. "I'll kill you! Just like I did before!"

"That Scout you killed ten thousand years ago…"

"I'll…"

"Was your own _sister_."

Disbelief crossed Alti's face at the revelation. Her own sister? Died by her hand? Crying out in defiance, Alti kicked Earth away and lunged.

Alti's blade thrust forward, and both women froze. For a moment, neither one moved. It looked like Alti had stabbed Earth… until the katana fell from her grip and landed on the hull. Earth pulled back, revealing the combat knife embedded in Alti's chest. The raven-haired woman looked down in disbelief before collapsing. Kneeling next to her, Earth sighed. She knew it had to end this way, but she would have preferred another way. Alti looked up, her red eyes falling upon the battered redhead. She didn't see the Scout she had been fighting. She saw her sister.

"K…Kayla?" she asked, raising a shaky hand to brush some hair out of Earth's face. Taking a hold of her hand, Earth decided closure was the least she could do.

"Yea…" she replied. "Its me."

"I… I'm so sorry Kayla… if I had known…"

Earth just put a hand on Alti's shoulder. Somehow… she knew this was the real Alti. The one Kayla used to know.

"Kayla… please… forgive me…"

"I forgive you," Earth replied, then remembered what she saw when she first touched her Transformation Pen. "Tell mom and dad… tell them I'm ok."

"Thank you… Kayla…"

Alti's hand slipped from her grasp, and fell limp. With a sigh, Earth closed Alti's eyes. Reaching over for the katana, Earth used her back ribbon to make a makeshift scabbard before pulling out her radio.

"_Odyssey_… this is Lt. Jade. I need site-to-site transport to SG-1's location. And… bring the other Scouts up in the tower."

* * *

Once again, Mercury experienced the weirdness that was the _Odyssey's_ Asgard design transporter. The next thing she knew, She and the rest of the Inner Scouts were standing in front of the SG teams in the lobby. But they weren't alone. A very battered Earth was standing there as well, holding the body of Alti Sheppard. She set the fallen commander down on the ground before retrieving the knife. Using the remains of her skirt, Earth cleaned it and offered it back to its owner.

"You look like hell lieutenant," Mitchell said, accepting the knife.

"Sorry I'm late sir," Earth replied. "Took the scenic route."

She then picked up Alti's body again and approached Saturn.

"That barrier your doing?" she asked.

"Yes," Saturn replied, gritting her teeth.

"On my signal, drop it."

Menardi growled. Whatever barrier the Senshi had set up was preventing them from getting in. The Humans were safe for the moment.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE! I'M COMING OUT!"

Blinking in surprise, Menardi held up a hand as the barrier fell. A single human emerged. No… not a human. A Senshi. And she was carrying something.

"You surrendering Sen…" Menardi's voice trailed off as soon as she saw what the battered woman was carrying. It was the Commander. The green clad Senshi gently placed the body on the ground before the gathered Youma and stood up again. The Youma started talking amongst themselves at the sight of their fallen leader. Soon, the humans came out of the tower, maintaining a defensive posture. The Senshi gathered around their comrade while the Rebel Youma stood off to the side. Shura approached, causing Menardi to growl.

"I should have known you were leading this insurrection Shura."

"You know the ancient laws as well as I do Menardi," Shrua countered. "The laws from before Beryl's reign. Alti never named a successor."

Earth sighed. She was so tired after that fight that she just wanted to curl up in bed with a good book and the largest sub sandwich she could get her hands on. What came next caught everyone off guard.

"The Rite to Rule goes to the victor Menardi. Alti was defeated in single combat. By the ancient laws, Earth is our Queen now."

"Wait… what?" said redhead squeaked.

Menardi glared at the Senshi, hands balled up into fists, until she saw Alti's katana hanging on Earth's back. Relaxing, Menardi looked away for a moment. Then… she kneeled before the Scout of Earth. One by one, the Youma followed suit. Earth just had a blank look on her face, totally confused as to what was going on.

"But… I was going to be…" Moon whined before getting slapped upside the head by Mars.

"We are yours to command… my Queen," Menardi finally said, looking up at the redhead. Earth was still trying to process what just happened, and only responded with incomprehensible sounds. Colonel Mitchell chuckled as he approached the shell-shocked rookie and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You ok lieutenant?" he asked, "Or should I say… your majesty?"

"I'm not royalty!" Earth finally squeaked.

"Actually…" Jackson spoke up. "In some ancient cultures… a ruler was chosen based on strength and not family relation. By defeating their current leader… you effectively took her place."

"I what?"

Mercury got an idea and pulled the confused redhead off to the side. After a brief conversation, Earth came back.

"So… I'm in charge now?" she asked Menardi.

"Yes… my Queen."

"So… I can do… anything?"

"Yes… my Queen."

"Well… in that case… I need a representative of the Lunar Kingdom as well as a representative from Earth."

Catching on, Venus pushed Moon out next to Colonel Mitchell. If she was right, Earth was about to make good use of her new position.

"You guys taking notes?" Earth asked the Youma. Shura just smiled while Menardi stayed silent.

Trying to look as regal as possible while looking like she went through a meat grinder, Earth turned to address the two leaders.

"Wait a sec… Tell them to stop firing on the _Odyssey_."

Menardi issued the order to hold fire. That done, Earth finally got down to business.

"As newly appointed leader of the Dark Kingdom… I hereby… surrender. War's over. The terms are that the Youma are allowed to choose their own destiny."

"As… future queen… I… accept your terms as well as your surrender," Moon replied, feeling awkward.

"As the ranking military officer and representative of the United States of America, I also accept your terms," Mitchell said, offering a handshake. Earth accepted, then accepted one from Moon, who was still trying to figure out what to do. Earth gave a tired smile to Mitchell before turning to deal with the next issue.

"Now that that's taken care of… I am officially declaring that I am stepping down as Queen… and naming Shura as interim leader until a new one is elected by the people. Your destiny is your own now guys. Choose your own path."

The gathered Youma looked around, unsure what to say. Colonel Mitchell smiled and said that they would have support from Earth while they got back on their feet. Teal'c also said that the Jaffa would be willing to assist them as well. While everyone was talking, Earth slipped away from the crowd and sat down on the steps of the Central Tower. After a minute, she was joined by Mercury.

"You could have had everything," she said. "Your own kingdom, your own planet…"

"I'm not a leader Merc," Earth replied. "And… I don't want to leave behind everything I know for some big fancy chair. Its just not me."

"You're happy where you are…"

"Yea. Earth is my home. And I belong there. On top of that… I don't want to trade going through the Stargate for anything."

Mercury smiled and put a hand on her friend's shoulder. Earth winced but didn't complain. It wasn't long before the rest of the Scouts walked over and joined them. Feeling awkward with all the attention, Earth just rolled with it.

"Lieutenant," Colonel Mitchell spoke up, approaching the group. "You ready to go home yet?"

Earth thought for a moment as she looked at the faces of all her friends, both SG-1 and the Scouts.

"Yes sir," she replied. "More than ready."

* * *

An hour later, everyone was gathered at the Stargate. Carter had decided that the _Odyssey_ would stay at Kentaris until they were relieved. It would also give them a chance to at least make minor repairs. Xena sat next to Earth as they looked at the Gate.

"Dial it up lieutenant," Mitchell said. The redhead approached the DHD and started inputting the address for Earth. After activating the last symbol she brought her hand over the large red crystal that would activate the gate, and hesitated.

"Merc… wanna do the honors?" Earth asked. The blunette blinked before stepping forward.

"What do I do?"

"See the big red button?" she replied. "Push the big red button."

Mercury placed her hand on the crystal and pushed down. The gate activated, and everyone who was not familiar with it jumped at the _kawoosh_ that followed. Earth laughed as she saw Moon get dropped by Jupiter. Apparently the blond was so startled by the Stargate that she had actually jumped into the brunette's arms. Colonel Reynolds sent his IDC and reported that they were clear to proceed. SG-5 was the first to go through, followed by SG-3. The Scouts and SG-1 approached the gate.

"Lets go home Lita," Jackson said, offering a hand to the brunette. Jupiter didn't say anything about Daniel using her real name, as she was just happy to be going home. The pair stepped through, followed by Teal'c. Moon and the remaining Scouts looked at the shimmering event horizon.

"Does it hurt?" Moon asked. Earth had a devious smirk on her face when she noticed the blond right in front of it.

"Oh yea," the redhead said. "Watch that first step."

With that, Earth pushed Moon through. Everyone laughed before they started through themselves. Eventually all that was left was Earth, Mercury, Pluto, and Colonel Mitchell. The green haired Time Guardian nodded before calmly stepping through.

"Told you it was something else when active," Earth said as she looked up at the gate. Mercury had to admit, she was right.

"Come on you two," Mitchell said. With a smile, the trio stepped through the gate and across the galaxy, with an orange tabby.

* * *

Author's Note: I hope I did a good job with the fight. I know you guys might have preferred seeing the Scouts take part in the fight, but they were still recovering and it was kinda Krystal's fight as well. And I felt that having Mercury activate the Stargate would be a good idea.

Behind the Scene's note: I had the fight on top of the _Odyssey_ in my head for a while before actually getting to this chapter.

Next time on _Stargate SG-1_: Much Ice Cream will die.


	14. Of Senshi and Tau'ri

Chapter 14

Of Senshi and Tau'ri

_"I'm glad to hear you're alright Lita. But… what are you doing in America?"_

"It's a long story mom," Lita replied. "We'll be here for a few more days, but we're all fine. Danny's set us up with someplace to stay until we can get home."

_"That's good to hear. Just promise me you'll stay out of trouble."_

"I'll try."

"Don't worry Liz. I'll watch out for her," Daniel spoke up.

A few days and nine Non Disclosure Agreements later, the Scouts were happy to be back on Earth. Although they were on the wrong side of the planet, the Scouts were able to get in touch with their families. General Landry had arranged for them to stay at a hotel in Colorado Springs until a flight could be arranged. For the most part… it was a vacation after a tough battle. They all agreed that if something came up that required assistance, both the SGC and the Scouts wouldn't hesitate to call for help. Krystal had introduced Serena and Mina to _Team Fortress 2_, which in turn pulled in Rei and Ami. Lita took interest, but said that she might check it out later. The Outer Scouts had chosen not to bother, although Krystal swore she saw Setsuna watching her play one time.

"Have you heard of Brain Freeze?" Krystal asked as she watched Serena wolf down yet another bowl of ice cream. The Scouts and SG-1 were at an Ice Cream Parlor in Colorado Springs, and the Meatball Head was living up to her reputation as the Bane of Ice Cream everywhere.

"Some days I wonder if there's even a brain up there _to_ freeze," Rei muttered as she ate hers in a more conservative manner.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Serana replied, pointing her spoon at Rei. Another bowl was set in front of her. Before she could dig in, a dark hand reached over and swapped it for an empty bowl. Teal'c, the Jaffa Ice Cream Ninja, struck again. Krystal laughed before taking a drink of her milkshake.

"We still have to come up with some reason why we're all here in America," Ami said.

"International Kidnapping ring?" Krystal suggested.

"Taken down by the Air Force?" Lita poked a hole in the idea.

"Why not?"

"Well… it's better than a field trip to look at Deep Space Radar Telemetry."

"Why do I feel like that was a burn?"

Mitchell suppressed a laugh as he watched the resident rookie. Things were settling down now. Hell… even the Lucian Alliance had been quiet once news of the battle on Kentaris started circulating through the galaxy. Early reports indicate that the Youma were already negotiating with the Jaffa on Trade relations, and were willing to send someone to do the same with Earth. There was no doubt that there would still be the occasional attack on Earth by renegade Youma, but Mitchell was confident that any incursion would be dealt with easily.

"Alright," Vala spoke up. "Just who are these girls?"

"Long story Vala," Daniel replied. "You missed a lot over the last week."

"Obviously. We also apparently have a kid on the team too."

"Vala… I can dish it out with the best of 'em," Krystal defended herself.

Shaking her head, the resident rogue went back to her frozen treat before Serena could pull it away from her.

* * *

"She did it."

"She almost died to do it though."

"True."

"She is _almost_ as brave as O'Neill."

"Skarra, to you… nobody is braver than O'Neill."

"Of course! O'Neill defeated Ra!"

"And Jade freed a planet."

"Kayla… isn't it awkward that you're talking about yourself in a way?"

"A little. She is me, but at the same time…"

"Kayla, Skarra… the Others are waiting."

_"Isa Sola…"_

"I know what that means Kayla…"

"I know you know. I just never liked politics. Didn't like it back in the Silver Millennium, don't like it now."

"So what else is new?"

* * *

Swearing under her breath, Krystal ran.

"MAKE A HOLE!" she shouted, getting airmen to jump out of the way as she blasted by. Skidding to a halt outside the blast door, she slid her cardkey through the reader.

"I thought we discussed this lieutenant…" Mitchell joked as she stepped through the door.

"Sorry sir."

"Scenic route again?"

"I promise… won't happen again."

Mitchell smiled as the rookie took her place with the team at the base of the ramp. Vala looked anxious to get going.

"Well… now that we're all here… lets see what adventures await us on P2A-441," Daniel declared.

"And what treasures!" Vala added.

"You're just jealous that you missed out on any treasure on our last mission," Krystal replied.

"There was treasure?"

"Nope," Krystal said with a smile. Vala started pouting before perking up again. Mitchell rolled his eyes at the banter. It was good to have things back to normal again. He noticed an addition to Krystal's gear, and tapped her on the shoulder.

"You sure you wanna have that out for all to see?" he asked, indicating her Transformation Pen. Krystal had slipped it into a Mag Light holster on her belt, with a means to secure it in case of serious action.

"It's a part of who I am Cam," she replied. "Not gonna hide from it while off world."

"Well… nice to hear you got everything sorted out," Mitchell said before shouting over his shoulder. "WALTER! HIT IT!"

Once again, the Stargate rumbled to life. The symbols on the inner ring spinning around like a combination lock as the gate dialed out. The symbol for Earth finally settled at the top, and the gate activated.

_"Good luck SG-1!"_

Krystal smiled as Ami's voice gave them the all clear. Starting up the ramp, SG-1 approached the active gate, eager to explore a new world. Stopping just before the event horizon, Krystal looked back at the control room while the rest of the team proceeded through. There, alongside the usual staff and General Landry, were the Scouts. Her new friends were waving at her. She knew that they would be well on their way back to Tokyo by the time SG-1 returned, but it was nice to have them see her off on a mission. Waving back, she turned and took a deep breath. Another smile crossed her face.

"Look out galaxy," she said. "Here comes trouble."

And with that, Lt. Krystal Jade stepped through the Stargate, and on to her next adventure.

* * *

Author's Note: Ladies and Gentlemen... _Sierra Echo..._ is complete. Thank you all for coming. I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I did writing it. And yes... I did leave it open for a sequel. What adventures await Krystal, SG-1, and the Scouts? And how will the existence of the Stargate affect the future? I don't know. But I intend to find out.

See you all on the next exciting adventure!


End file.
